Global Citizenship Lessons: Teacher Resources for the New School Year

Authored By: Molly Davis, U.S. Fund for UNICEF Intern

It’s August and you know what that means… another school year is just around the corner. Teachers play such a crucial role in developing and inspiring the next generation of global citizens, showing them how to engage with the world, think critically about global issues and create a broader world view. Resources to add your teaching are included below. Teachunicef.org also contains a number of tools to help you incorporate the values of global citizenship into your classroom.

UNICEF ACT Magazine

UNICEF Act magazine explores current, global issues through informational text, maps, data and photography, and is accompanied by a teacher’s guide. All materials are aligned to National and Common Core State Standards, making it easy to integrate into existing lesson plans.  

UNICEF Kid Power

The U.S. Fund’s newest kids-helping-kids initiative, UNICEF Kid Power, allows kids to get active and save lives using the world’s first Wearable-for-Good®. The school program combines technology for good and standards aligned curriculum to teach kids about UNICEF’s work, the impact of malnutrition and different cultures around the world.  As kids get active with the UNICEF Kid Power Band, they  go on missions to learn about new cultures and earn points. Points unlock funding from partners, parents and fans, and funds are used by UNICEF to deliver lifesaving packets of therapeutic food to severely malnourished children around the world.

In spring 2016, more than 6,000 Chicago-area students took steps to end global malnutrition with the UNICEF Kid Power school program. These superheroes unlocked more than 33,000 packets of therapeutic food – that’s enough activity to walk the length of Wrigley Field more than 4.3 million times!

Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF

Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF is one of America’s longest running youth volunteer initiatives, allowing kids in the U.S. to help their peers around the globe by collecting change in an iconic orange box on Halloween. The teacher’s component includes integrated lessons, videos and more. Since 1950, this annual tradition has raised more than $175 million to help UNICEF provide children medicine, nutrition, clean water, emergency relief and education.

Photo of the Month

Photo of the Month is a fun and interactive way for student to uncover the location and circumstances surrounding a photo depicting a child, or a UNICEF issue. At first, only a small section of the photo is showing. As the class answers the questions in the blocks hiding the picture, they can remove them one by one, and eventually reveal the full picture. Every picture comes with class questions and a backstory – providing both a lesson and a glimpse into the life of a child around the world.

Global Education Topics

The Global Education Topics page provides context on a range of UNICEF issues – ranging from child trafficking to nutrition – all framed in a teachable, kid-appropriate manner. UNICEF is working in 190 countries and territories around the world; this page provides insight into that work, and what kids need to know. Content includes lesson plans, activities, articles, videos and audio clips to fit your curriculum.