This activity pack is full of creative ideas for using Amnesty’s latest children’s book, Dreams of Freedom, to explore human rights and the idea of freedom with students aged 7-11.

Flora Popescu’s parents are planning to defect when daily life suddenly brings frightening changes – some linked to a friendship between Flora and a new boy at school. Unlike his poor classmates, Daniel dresses and eats well, and his father ranks high in the secret police. Flora slowly realises that her father is in danger and only she can save him from the secret police.

Fiction has real power to further human rights education. Explore the themes of difference and diversity with your class through our teachers notes for the book 'Oliver&' by Birgitta Sif.

This is a compelling story about the Crimean Tatars’ struggle to reclaim the land from which they were exiled in World War II. All her life, Safi’s parents dreamed of returning to her grandpa’s native village in Crimea. But they end up exchanging their sunny Uzbekistan house for a squalid camp where no one welcomes them. The story explores how the struggle threatens to tear Safi’s family apart, and asks if this strange land can ever become home.

A powerful story about a young girl’s struggle within the constraints of her nomadic society. Shabanu lives with her camel-herding family in Pakistan’s Cholistan Desert. At 12, she is already betrothed, while her 13-year-old sister is about to be married. When tragedy strikes, Shabanu must choose between dreams of freedom and obligations to family and culture.

Written by Ying Chang Compestine, this is a powerful story of a girl who comes of age during China’s Cultural Revolution (1966-1969). Nine-year-old Ling leads a happy life with her parents, both dedicated doctors. Comrade Li, one of Mao’s political officers, moves into their apartment and creates an atmosphere of increasing mistrust in which Ling begins to fear for her family’s safety. Over four years, and despite witnessing many horrors, Ling not only survives, but blooms.

This beautifully illustrated book introduces deafness to young children. The story explores some of the difficulties a child who is deaf may face, and how upsetting these can be. The story helps to reinforce how important it is to make sure everyone is included in games and activities, and how easy it is to make changes so that this can happen.

Set in Bootle, north of Liverpool, the book tells of two refugee brothers from Mongolia who are determined to fit in with their new schoolmates while they apply to remain in the UK. A wonderful friendship develops between the boys and Julie, a Year 6 girl in her last term at primary school. When the boys suddenly disappear one day, Julie struggles to separate truth from fantasy.

Many children’s novels and even picture books possess great power to open up new worlds and inspire a capacity for empathy. Being able to empathise makes it easier to be kind, tolerant and willing to consider other points of view. It makes it harder to adopt prejudiced stances, helps to guard against aggression and conflict and may even encourage people to take positive action on behalf of others. It also helps young people to put their own problems in perspective. These are all values that lie at the heart of human rights and we can find them in books for children.

Read the Introduction To Using Fiction To Teach Human Rights guide and use our teachers notes to discuss and debate Dark Parties by Sara Grant.

Secrets in the Fire is based on the true story of Sofia, an indomitable young girl in war-torn Mozambique, who strays from a path while playing and steps on a landmine. She manages to transcend the brutality and horror that have shattered her childhood, and builds a new future out of the ruins of her life.

Soldiers of the Kashmir Freedom Fighters are in search of new recruits at nine-year-old Rafiq’s school in rural Kashmir. They scrawl a line in chalk on the schoolroom wall. Any boy whose height reaches the line will be taken to fight. Rafiq is tall for his age and becomes the first boy to cross into a life of brutality and terrorism. So begins Rafiq’s transformation from child to boy soldier, indoctrinated into a cause of fanatical belief. But even when he no longer recognises himself, his family remembers the boy he was and hopes he will return.

A beautifully illustrated book for the primary classroom. Bob Graham’s story talks about caring for others with respect, patience and understanding. By using few words, and wonderful drawings, Graham allows children to explore how best to be active citizens and caring individuals in a very busy world. By rescuing a sick bird that no one else has noticed, the main character, Will, finds a way, with his parents’ help, to bring the bird back to good health, giving it its freedom once more.

Read the Introduction To Using Fiction To Teach Human Rights guide and use our teachers notes to discuss and debate the book 'I Have a Right to be a Child&' by Alain Serres.

The books on this shortlist for the 2018 Kate Greenaway and Carnegie Medal winners were chosen by expert youth librarians. Proving our theory that all good books engage with human rights, we’ve found deep themes of justice, truth and freedom to explore in every one. All of these books are eligible for the Amnesty CILIP Honour, for books that best uphold, illuminate or celebrate human rights and the values that underpin them. Click each to find human rights education resources that you can use to explore human rights with children and young people.

'I hope I can confide everything to you, as I have never been able to confide in anyone, and I hope you will be a great source of comfort and support.&' These were the first words Anne wrote in the diary she began 70 years ago. Amnesty and the Anne Frank Trust have produced two lessons for students to explore her life and legacy.

Resources to accompany film screenings of Slumdog Millionaire, Blood Diamond, The Kite Runner, Hotel Rwanda, Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, Good and Persepolis including: Blood Diamond (15+) A comprehensive teaching resource including lesson plans, drawings by child soldiers and much more to support an indepth study of the film and the issues it raises. The Kite Runner (12+) Additional companion guide including activities and lessons to engage students in a discussion of complex issues such as ethnic diversity, gender inequality, and the interplay between upper and lower socio-economic and political classes in Afghanistan. Hotel Rwanda (12+) Three lessons and various activities for teachers to use in conjunction with a screening of the film.

Read the Introduction To Using Fiction To Teach Human Rights guide and use our teachers notes to discuss and debate the book 'In The Sea There Are Crocodiles&' by Fabio Geda.

Amnesty International Literacy and Human Rights Resource. Empower students to take action for current up-to-date human rights issues by writing letters and developing key literacy skills. Resource contains powerpoint, current case study scaffolded reading and writing worksheets, lesson plans and teacher notes. Available in two versions for KS2 and KS3.

This Words That Burn bitesize blog series explores the power of poetry. We will introduce you to some incredible poets and share simple activities you can do to inspire your own poetry. You can find links to all the blog posts below: Blog 1: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/blogs/classroom-community/words-burn-introducing-our-bitesize-poetry-series Blog 2: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/blogs/classroom-community/words-burn-reflect-through-poetry Blog 3: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/blogs/classroom-community/words-burn-feel-through-poetry Blog 4: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/blogs/classroom-community/words-burn-question-through-poetry Blog 5: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/blogs/classroom-community/words-burn-listen-through-poetry Blog 6: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/blogs/classroom-community/words-burn-dream-through-poetry Blog 7: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/blogs/classroom-community/words-burn-demand-through-poetry Blog 7: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/blogs/classroom-community/words-burn-celebrate-through-poetry If you find these resources useful you can also find our full Words That Burn resources on TES or on the Amnesty website.