CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Rights and Responsibilities

Overview

This theme aims to create an understanding by exploring some aspects of individual and
group rights and responsibilities, human and animal rights, consumer rights, abuse of
rights, conflict and its resolution, and the role of the individual, group action and voluntary
organisations to help those whose rights are infringed.

Content at a glance

Aims Section Summary

Section 1 To appreciate that people and Pupils will:

other living things have needs and
Animal that we all have responsibilities to
rights meet them.
To learn the consequences of
antisocial behaviour.
For pupils to learn who can help
them ensure that their needs and
rights are met.
To show pupils how their
behaviour can affect situations.
Section 2 To recognise that we all have
rights and responsibilities.
Know To practice saying no.
your
rights
Section 3 To understand consumer rights.
Consumer
rights
engage in a project on animal
welfare. This may involve links to
an animal welfare charity, a pet
shop and a vet
Pupils will:
discuss and role play issues
around rights and responsibilities
discuss and role play saying no
Pupils will:
take part in preparatory work on
shopping activities, familiarisation
with vocabulary, video
representation, weights and
measures
role-plays when things go wrong,
anger management and presenting
facts
spend a day with a visitor from the
local Trading Standards Office

Time

All the sections can be extended into half-term projects if desired.

Keywords

Community, consequence, duty, fair, look after, need, no, responsibilities, right,
rights, rule, unfair, want, wrong.

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Extra curricula and whole school issues

Section 1 could involve visits, visitors and links with parents

Buddy systems are useful for advocacy, developing responsibility and protecting
rights
The new SEN Code of Practice emphasises the importance of pupil participation
in developing IEPs.
Section 3 involves a visit from a Trading Standards Officer

Points to note

For section 3, officers from Trading Standards should visit the school prior to the
planned visit to discuss proposed activities, space, resources, staffing levels,
groupings and preparation and evaluation of the project.

Links to the rest of this resource

School Councils: there can be an emphasis in the school council on pupils

responsibilities and on knowing who is responsible for different aspects of school life
Consumer Rights (Section 3) follows on well from Economy. Global Community
considers global rights and responsibilities. Section 1 of this theme is about animals
and Section 2 of Community and Voluntary Groups is about guide dogs.

Useful organisations

Childline, Tel: 0800 11 11, www.childline.co.uk

Pupils should be aware of this organisation

Farms for Schools, Tel: 01422 882708, www.farmsforschools.org.uk

Can tell you about the nearest farm that you can visit

Kidscape, 2 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0DH, Tel: 020 7730 3300,
www.kidscape.org.uk
Information on anti-bullying and saying no

Local Trading Standards (www.tradingstandards.gov.uk) support through the Rights

for Life Scheme. To find your local Trading Standards Officer go to the website and
type in your postcode.

Office of Fair Trading, Tel: 08457 22 44 99, email: enquiries@oft.gsi.gov.uk,

www.oft.gov.uk
Leaflets available including Your Rights when Shopping

Pets As Therapy (PAT), 17 Ambrook Road, Reading, Berkshire RG2 8SL,

Tel: 0118 9212 467, email: reception@petsastherapy.org, www.petsastherapy.org

RSPCA, Wilberforce Way, Southwater, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 9RS,

Tel: 0870 3335 999, www.rspca.org.uk.

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CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Good resources and can send representatives to your school

Save the Children Fund, Public Enquiry Team, 17, Grove Lane, London SE5 8RD,
Tel: 020 7703 5400, Fax: 020 7703 2278,
www.savethechildren.org.uk/partners/lessons
Good teaching resources on rights available, including a simplified version of the UN
Convention on the Rights of the Child.

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is available at

www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/k2crc.html

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CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Section 1: Animal Rights

Learning objectives

Pupils may:
respond to the visit by the pet
understand the importance of taking responsibility for the care of a pet
recognise the benefit of joining together to help improve a situation
identify right and wrong and the effects of incorrect behaviour
use IT to research, record and display information
empathise with others and identify ways in which they can support each other
and the community

Activity A: Pets needs and our responsibilities

Carry out a class or school survey on pet ownership.

Discuss care for animals in the language of needs and rights.
You may have a school hamster or other pet that pupils can take responsibility for
helping to care for. If there are no pets in school, family pet-care record cards
could be used to involve parents in recording pupils actions with any pets at
home.
Use Pictures Cards 1.1. Match the pets with their needs.
Invite a PAT dog or a mobile farm to visit (see useful organisations). Discuss the
needs/rights of the visiting animal/s.
Look at Pictures 1.2. What are the pet owners doing wrong?

Activity B: All animals have rights

Visit a local pet centre to look at animal care, equipment and foods. You may also
visit a local vet.
You could use the video and teaching pack produced by the RSPCA and/or visit your
local RSPCA Centre to experience handling animals.
More able pupils may research other animal welfare charities.
Pupils organise a collection to help animals through the RSPCA or another animal
charity (food, bedding, toys, funds). They will need to advertise for the
collection.
An assembly could be used to promote animal care and support for the collection
Meet working animals e.g. police dog, guide dog and handlers talk about their work
Learn about animals in other countries and discuss their rights

Resources provided with this pack

Pictures of animals and their needs (Picture Cards 1.1) These need to be cut
up before the lesson
Pictures of animal dilemmas (Pictures1.2)

Resources provided by the school

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RSPCA video and poster pack; regular newsletters available

TV clips from animal care programmes
Items used in the care of pets e.g. rug, food bowl, dog collar etc

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CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Section 2: Know your rights

Learning objectives

Pupils may:
indicate their needs
indicate when they do not want something being provided
learn that all human beings have rights and responsibilities
learn that there are organisations whose role is to help protect our rights
learn how and when to say no
learn that there are internationally agreed rights

Activity A: Rights

Recall what animals need and have a right to (home, food, exercise, sleep, love).
Consider what we need. Consider daily routines: who does what and what are the
consequences of these things not happening? Introduce the concepts of needs and
rights.

Each pupil should identify his or her rights within the class, the school and the wider
community. A school charter could be produced.

Pupils might discuss the corresponding responsibilities for each right.

(For more able pupils, a simplified version of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is available on
www.savethechildren.org.uk/partners/lessons. There are also some excellent lesson
plans.

Activity B: Saying No
Through role-play, introduce simple times when we can say no, e.g. being given
something to wear that is totally unsuitable in some way or being asked to taste
something horrible (but edible!!) and reinforcing the message that we all have the
right to say no.
At a higher level, perhaps pupils could think of things that they know are wrong to do
(this will avoid putting ideas in to their heads of interesting attention-seeking
activities!) and once the list is made they will be asked to do something and practice
saying no.
There are agencies that offer support to children saying no and asserting their
rights (see Kidscape and Childline in useful organisations).

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Section 3: Consumer rights

Note: Plan a visit by your local Trading Standards Officer for activity B (an easy way
to find your local officer is to go to www.tradingstandards.gov.uk and type in your
postcode).

Learning objectives

Pupils may:
communicate likes and dislikes, satisfaction and dissatisfaction
express wants and needs
recognise people who can help them
recognise, understand and follow codes and rules
recognise when rights are not being met
gain a basic understanding of the role of Trading Standards Officers.
understand consumer rights and responsibilities
learn what to do if something goes wrong after shopping for goods or services
be aware of laws to help them gain their legal rights
become aware of the importance of a receipt or other paperwork connected with
purchases
know how to take further action

Activity A: Shopping and consumer expectations

Consider what you expect when you pay for something through role-play e.g. paying
lots of money for an item that is broken. In the school canteen or Friday caf, send
back toast that is burnt (discuss with catering staff how this should be introduced).

Compare two shops for their accessibility, brightness and ease of reaching products.
Buy some items.

Activity B: Visit by a Trading Standards Officer

Trading Standards Officers are able to organise a range of activities such as:
An interactive display and exchange of information with Trading Standards staff.
The display is of goods that have been confiscated because they are counterfeit
or unsafe. Pupils enjoy spotting the fakes and guessing the fault that makes the
items unsafe
A circle time to exchange stories of experiences, broadening into services of an
unsatisfactory nature as well goods. The professional staff comment on the
issues raised
Smaller groups with Trading Standards staff and teacher support look at other
aspects of the officers work in more detail e.g. weights and measures, packaging
shape, misleading advertising. Each group can prepare a role-play to present to
the whole school to teach the main points of their groups work. Key vocabulary
is highlighted and the main points of the complaint and how to deal with the
incident are acted out. Open question time can follow each performance, with a
reward for the best performance at the end

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CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Activity C: Follow up

Follow up and revisit the concepts introduced by the Trading Standards Officer.

Resources provided by the school

Local Trading Standards Officer (see useful organisations)

Your Rights when Shopping leaflet (see useful organisations)
Receipt collection
Fake and genuine goods
Faulty videos, copies of music etc.

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CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Additional Activities

Developing a sense of responsibility

Pupils can take responsibility for their own belongings
Pupils can take simple roles within their class, such as tidying a certain area each
day
Pupils can carry messages to other teachers
Pupils can help younger pupils at break-time

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