How to Talk to Kids About Human Rights
Illustration: Humanizing History Visuals
Welcome to Humanizing History™! Every month, we feature a central theme. Each week, we dive into different areas of focus.
This month’s theme: Are We Still Living in a Civil Rights Era?
This week’s focus: “How to,” recommendations on how to expand what we teach and/or discuss with young people
Today’s edition of Humanizing History™ is about 1,300 words, an estimated 4½-minute read.
The Why for This Week’s Topic
This month, we’re exploring the Civil Rights Movement — asking: Are We Still Living in a Civil Rights Era?
As mentioned, our goal isn’t just to revisit familiar names and events, but to expand our understanding of the movement’s timeline and legacy — and to explore how engaging with this history can deepen our civic awareness, and maybe even reshape what it means to be patriotic.
In a recent newsletter, Reconstruction as a Mirror for Today, we explored the period after the Civil War, when many Black Americans — despite facing violence and intimidation — sought and gained political power. We considered the idea that Reconstruction could be seen as a foundation for the later Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, or perhaps as part of a Long Civil Rights Movement that spans centuries, including our lives today.
Last week, we looked at multiracial alliances — and how they’ve always been a part of U.S. history. We shared the names of Larry, Dolores, and César, as we surveyed the United Farm Workers, and how they became a powerful force in the broader campaign for Civil Rights.
Today, we’re going to focus on the now — and on our future —by reviewing ways to bring this conversation to our youth.
An Example Framework
There are many ways to approach conversations about human rights. What we’re offering here is one way — not the only way.
To guide these conversations, we can look to resources like the Social Justice Standards, created by Learning for Justice.
These are a “set of anchor standards and age-appropriate learning outcomes divided into four domains — identity, diversity, justice and action.”
Outlining these four domains, the standards recognize that, “in today’s diverse classrooms, students need knowledge and skills related to both prejudice reduction and collective action.”
The first domain, “Identity,” inspires positive identity development and knowledge of self.
The second, “Diversity,” encourages students to examine their relationship with others and actively build empathy and connection (cross-cultural skills).
The “Justice” domain focuses on recognizing and combating stereotypes and unfairness.
Finally, “Action” inspires reflection, responsibility, and movement toward collective goals.
The recommendations we’ll make today follow a similar pattern: when speaking with children about human rights, we begin with the “self” and then expand to others — moving from a micro to macro lens.
For more guidance or essential background information, consider reading one of our popular newsletters: “How to Talk to Kids About Race and Culture.”
How to Talk to Kids about Human Rights: A Loose Structure
Objective 1: Start with Self to Anchor Reflection
Key Questions: What are human rights? What rights do I want to have?
When speaking with kids, consider starting the conversation by asking what rights they think they should have. Young children can usually begin by listing things they want or believe they should have access to — such as food, water, freedom (like being able to play), and to be treated fairly or kindly.
For older children and adolescents, the conversation can also start with the basic human rights they think they should have. To add more nuance or depth, consider asking them about their values: What matters to you and why? A conversation rooted in values can help adolescents explore their own perspectives and reflect on their sense of self and identity.
Research on Values Affirmation Exercises — as we referenced in a recent newsletter: “Humanizing Classrooms” — has shown that reaffirming core values can reduce anxiety and stress, while increasing purpose and motivation. (Learn more here.)
From here, the conversation may naturally transition into topics of fairness and responsibilities.
Objective 2: Consider Others to Build Respect & Empathy
Key Questions: What's fair? What rights should others have?
Even young children understand the idea of fairness — you’ve likely heard them say, “That’s not fair!” To build empathy and respect, consider shifting the conversation to explore concepts of fairness and unfairness. Remind students of the rights they said they should have, then ask: Should others have those same rights? Why or why not?
Extend the conversation to include the flip side of rights: responsibilities. Ask, for example: If you have the right to feel safe or included, what responsibilities do you think come with that right?
For an activity, students can match or pair different rights with their corresponding responsibilities. For example: If we have “the right to learn,” then we may have the responsibility to help create a classroom or household environment that supports learning. What does that look, sound, and feel like? If we have the “right to be heard,” then we may also have the responsibility to listen or take turns speaking.
Creating a list of “Rights and Responsibilities” together can help establish classroom expectations or norms — especially in the beginning of the year — and foster a more safe space before moving on to more challenging conversations.
For older students, consider introducing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
A milestone document for global human rights, the UDHR, created in 1948, has been translated to over 500 languages, and has been recognized as inspiring more than 70 human rights treaties worldwide.
For an activity, consider asking students to explore different rights listed in the UDHR. For example, Article 26 states: “Everyone has the right to education.” Ask: Do you believe education is a human right? Is education something you believe you should have access to? Should others have the same access? Should access to education be determined by social identity? Why or why not? If someone doesn’t have access to school or a safe learning environment, what might that mean for their rights? (Remember to draft community expectations or guidelines ahead of time to provide guardrails for sensitive discussions. Some activities may also be done as written reflections instead of public discussions.)
Objective 3: Enhance Understanding of the History of Civil Rights
Key Questions: How have people advocated for Civil Rights in the past?
As mentioned in a recent newsletter — Are We Still in a Civil Rights Era? — children are often taught a limited version of history. History books and public discourse often frame the Civil Rights Movement as a brief period, largely confined to the 1950s and 1960s. But the fight for Civil Rights is long, and nuanced, and includes the contributions of historical figures — and “everyday” people — whose names may never appear in textbooks. Still, for those names we do know, we can introduce their stories to students and honor their lives to inspire change.
Ask: What mattered to this person? What do you think were their values? What obstacles or examples of discrimination or unfairness did they face? What actions did they take? What do you find inspiring, surprising, or meaningful about their contributions? Encourage curiosity and critical thinking about the past — and, if desired, bring the discussion to present-day issues.
Objective 4: Discuss Civil Rights Today
Key Questions: Are we still in a Civil Rights Era?
Human rights are not just historical — they are relevant today.
Ask: Do you think everyone in our country — or in the world — has equal access to basic civil or human rights? Are there current events, in your community or globally, where people’s rights are being denied or violated?
This is where historical knowledge becomes powerful. Tactics used during past movements, like nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience , can offer important lessons for how to advocate for change today. Ask: What kinds of organizing — from small scale to larger movements — made a difference in the past? What can we learn from it today?
Critical thinking about historical and current events can lead to civic engagement, and even a more inclusive sense of patriotism — especially if we define a nation not just by its government, but by its people. Consider asking: Is a country its government, or its people? Both? What are our responsibilities as citizens, residents, or global neighbors?
By centering people — and including young people — in conversations about rights, justice, and change, we help them see that they, too, can shape their current world. Just like the estimated 100+ billion humans who came before us, they/we also have the power to leave a mark.
If you talk to kids about human rights, we’d love to hear from you! Please feel free to reply with your own ideas, questions, or suggestions. Your insights help us grow this work together.
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