Effects of Covid-19 on Child Labor & Human Rights

ACTIVITY INTRODUCTION: Opinion Scale

This activity will ask students to respond to statements – varying in seriousness and topic – by placing themselves along a line of ‘strongly agree’ to ‘strongly disagree’ They will be encouraged to articulate why they have chosen this position This activity can be useful in identifying and/or challenging perceptions and views and create a safe space to discuss differences of opinion

These materials were co-created with the 100 Million campaign in support of the Fair Share campaign, a global partnership of survivors, UN agencies, student and youth organizations, trade unions, moral leaders, and civil society organizations, united in achieving a major focus on child labor during the UN Year for the Elimination of Child Labor. You can find out more at www.fairsharecampaign.org and www.100million.org.

PREPARATION BEFORE THE ACTIVITY:

Prepare the space by marking one end of the room as ‘strongly agree’ and the other ‘strongly disagree’; this could be verbally or with signs

For distance learning you can use online software to poll your students remotely and display the results in real time You might already use classroom software to do this, alternatively you can create a free account with mentimeter com and create an opinion poll slide to share with your students

ACTIVITY DURATION: 40 - 45 MINUTES

ACTIVITY OUTLINE:

1 Discuss the impact that COVID-19 has had on child labor and children’s rights with your class Based on this, have students recall human rights issues that were caused or exacerbated by COVID

2. Begin by co-creating a code of conduct or rules with your students to ensure everyone feels safe and supported to share their personal opinions or beliefs

This could include asking students what they believe are important ways to behave, such as showing each other respect, active listening, and constructively challenging views you disagree with as opposed to insulting the person themselves

Set rules on what is acceptable language, highlighting unacceptable language including any form of hate-speech, prejudice, or discrimination

3. Explain that you will be reading out a series of statements and students should decide whether they agree or disagree with the statement Based on this they then choose which position to stand in that best represents their opinion For example, if they are neutral, they can stand in the middle of the room, or if they agree closer to the ‘strongly agree’ end depending on how strongly they feel.