TASKs for democracy

Activity 49
Education for prevention
of crimes against humanity
in primary school
DESCRIPTION
Original activity contributed by Charlot Cassar
Focus: this activity helps primary school teachers to recognise incidents that occur in the primary school context
as opportunities for education for the prevention of violence and crimes against humanity and to explore ways
in which these can be extended to create basic awareness and education for prevention. It develops opportunities
to explore teachers’ own knowledge and values, and challenges the notion that primary school children are
perhaps too young to understand or too vulnerable to be exposed to the subject of crimes against humanity.
Target group: pre-/in-service teachers of age groups 3-5/6-10
Expected learning outcomes:
A_DIV_2 Disposition to be empathetic to enhance living and acting together within society
S_HR_2 Capacity to prevent the marginalisation of any individual or group
S_HR_1 Ability to promote “convivencia”
K_COOP_3 Understanding of how co-operation can support the prevention of conflict, discrimination
and violence
K_SELF_1 Self-knowledge and introspection
Type of activity: Core/main activity
PROCEDURE
Introduction
Introduce the activity, its aim and, briefly, the procedure.
Step 1 (Identifying representations – group work – 15 minutes)
1. Ask the participants to form groups of four (or three) depending on the total number of participants.
2. Give one image to each group without any information (Task sheet 1). Ask participants to discuss the
image and to try and determine what it represents (10 minutes).
3. Ask participants to identify the victims in the photo (5 minutes).
Step 2 (confronting representations – plenary/group work – 15 minutes)
1. Provide participants with details about the photo, namely that it shows members of the Belgian resistance
shaving the head of women who collaborated with the Germans during the occupation.
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