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Explore human rights and active citizenship through Malala’s story. Includes clips, timeline, discussion, and a message of hope writing task.

This inspiring lesson explores the importance of human rights and the power of active citizenship, using the story of Malala Yousafzai as a central case study. It’s ideal for KS3 or KS4 (Years 9–11) and supports the PSHE Association’s personal development framework and the citizenship curriculum.

This is Lesson 5 of a 7-lesson unit exploring UK democracy, human rights, and global citizenship — but it also works perfectly as a standalone lesson.

Lesson Focus:

What are human rights and why do they matter?
How can individuals like Malala inspire global change?
What does it mean to be an active citizen?
What’s Included:

Do Now starter task matching key terms to definitions
TED-Ed video clip on universal human rights with quiz questions
Malala timeline activity with key events and dates
Discussion prompts on courage, change, and global justice
BBC news clip on girls’ education in Afghanistan (optional, sensitive content)
Message of Hope writing task to encourage empathy and action
Printable worksheet support and reflection questions
Learning Objectives:

Must: Recap what human rights are and why they matter
Should: Understand how Malala stood up for rights and inspired others
Could: Share ideas for making the world fairer and being an active citizen
This lesson promotes empathy, critical thinking, and student voice, making it ideal for PSHE, Citizenship, or Personal Development sessions.