Global Dimension Blog

May's been a busy month as I've been wading through a backlog of great global teaching resources to add to our online database. Here goes... it's a long list!

Primary resources

• Going Up, Growing Up from Manchester DEP looks at using peer education and global dimension methodologies to help the transition from primary to secondary school
• Global Learning though Global Weeks from Cheshire DEC aims to support primary teachers who want to run a Global Focus Week in their school.
• The Planet Cork website from the Cork Industry Federation introduces this great renewable resource to children and has an emphasis on sustainability.
• The Silence Seeker is a sweet story for ages 5-7 - Joe hears that "silence seekers" have moved in next door, so he tries to help one of them by finding quiet places in the city. 

Secondary resources (ages 11-14)

• The Renewable World website provides a cross-curriculum resource on the importance of using renewable materials in a world of dwindling resources. 
• Right to Food from the British Red Cross examines the important topic of food security and addresses some common misperceptions about hunger.
• It Makes You Think from Tide~ Global Learning and the Association for Science Education is packed full of ideas for bringing global issues into Science.

(ages 11-16)

• The UN Matters Teaching Pack introduces students to the United Nations with the aim of developing their understanding of the UN system and how it works for peace, development and human rights.
• The SEAL and the Global Dimension website aims to support teachers in embedding the Global Dimension within the SEAL (Social and Emotional Learning) programme, engaging school pupils in global and development issues.
• The PARTICIPATE website uses the work of artists from Benin, China, Iraq, New Zealand and Nigeria to help teach Global Citizenship through Art and Design.

(ages 14-16)

• Going Global?, Is the Future Sussed? and For Richer and Poorer? are three new GCSE Geography Toolkits from the Geographical Association
  

And finally, two resources for secondary map fanatics: 

• SHOW®/World provides great visuals - select a global issue and watch the countries on the map change their size.
• Collins World Watch is a visual guide to the current state of the world's demographic, economic and environmental situation, using the World Bank's World Development Indicators to present 30 illustrated spreads.

This term's issue of the independent school magazine Conference & Common Room includes an article by Kate Brown, Schools Programme Manager at DEA (the education charity that manages the Global Dimension Website and works to support global learning). It discusses school links, fundraising and global learning.

You can read it online, turn to page 16 for her article: Conference & Common Room online issue.

Amnesty is offering free CPD for secondary school teachers this summer. The training aims to inspire teachers with ideas, resources and knowledge to teach students about human rights and empower young people to take action for human rights. The training is embedded in the statutory citizenship curriculum and enables teachers to approach human rights with confidence. Dates and locations are as follows:

• 11 June: Human Rights Action Centre, London (in partnership with Villiers School)
• 16 June: Sheffield
• 18 June: Glasgow
• 29 June: Newquay, Cornwall
• 6 July: Preston, Lancashire
• 15 July: Human Rights Action Centre, London (in partnership with the London Citizenship Network)

For more information and to book a place, visit www.amnesty.org.uk/teachertraining, email citizenship@amnesty.org.uk or call 020 7033 1596. Also, if you're a teacher who would like Amnesty to run a training event in an area they're not visiting this summer do get in touch - this will help them plan future teacher training.

It's International Year of Biodiversity this year. This new little booklet from DCSF Sustainable Schools provides schools with tips to help them engage pupils in biodiversity and includes lots of links to further sources of information. Available free to download or order from the Teachernet website.

The British Red Cross in partnership with Allen & Overy LLP is offering young people across the UK aged 13-17 the opportunity to show off their knowledge and experience of humanitarian issues in a national competition. They're invited to develop creative, interactive presentations on action-based projects within their school or local community, incorporating video, photography and other media. Entries can be based on a range of topics related to the theme of justice and fairness. The competition will complement students’ citizenship studies controlled assessments but will also fit with other citizenship activities in formal and informal education settings.

The competition is open to teams of up to six young people. Teams can apply for a small resource grant of up to £100 to help them carry out their action project. The deadline is 4 June 2010.

» Find out more at www.redcross.org.uk/justice.