WRITE FOR RIGHTS
SECONDARY TEACHING RESOURCE
December 2015
CONTENTS
Materials........................................................................... 2
Lesson plan process and time.............................................. 3
Write for Rights cases vocabulary......................................... 4
Write for Rights crossword................................................... 5
Your signature is more powerful than you think...................... 6
Annotated letter................................................................. 7
Sample letter..................................................................... 8
Letter writing tips............................................................... 9
Letter writing scaffold......................................................... 10
Self assessment................................................................. 11
Links to the quality teaching framework
This resource supports students to:
• Develop deep knowledge and understanding of the language of
discussion, exposition, persuasive writing, argument and opinion.
• Use the meta-language associated with argument and persuasive
writing.
• Integrate knowledge by making meaningful connections between texts.
Inquiry questions
• How can our role as a writer help others?
• How can persuasive letters be most effective?
USING THIS
RESOURCE
The following lesson plan
has been created with the
NAPLAN persuasive text
type in mind.
It would be most
appropriate for a literacy
lesson or as part of a
SOSE/HSIE lesson about
human rights,
non-governmental
organisations or global
citizenship.
It is designed to be
implemented in two 45–
50 minute class sessions
or one 75–minute session,
but there are many ways
it can be expanded and
made into a more in-depth
lesson, depending on the
needs and time available
in your classroom.
Objectives
• Expose students to a real-life application of effective letter writing.
• Provide students with the opportunity to write letters that contribute to
a desired impact.
• Review parts of a letter and their purpose.
Students will be able to
• Analyse a sample letter and identify the key components of a letter.
• Develop and support a position on a particular human rights case and
write a persuasive letter of support.
• Organise ideas in a clear, logical sequence that is easy for the reader
to follow.
• Publish their letter and mail it to the appropriate entity.
1
MATERIALS
PROVIDED BY AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
• A4 case sheets for all six Write for Rights cases www.amnesty.org.au/activist/campaign/38121
You may choose to focus on a particular case for the whole class if one is more appropriate or convenient for your class.
• Links to additional learning resources, including video clips.
• Sample letters www.amnesty.org.au/activist/campaign/38121
Students can use the sample letters to acquire basic information and supportive evidence. Also, depending on time and teacher permission, they may choose to use sentences/phrases and incorporate these into their own letters.
PROVIDED BY TEACHER OR STUDENTS
• Computer with internet access and projector/smartboard.
• Printed set of learning resources in this pack.
• Downloaded and printed resources from www.amnesty.org.au/activist/campaign/38121
• An envelope / postage satchel.*
*Teachers can collect letters and mail them in one package to Schools Write for Rights, Locked Bag 23,
Broadway NSW 2007 for delivery to their final destination.
Sutherland Shire group 'Write for Rights' with a special lunch and letterwriting session. Sydney, November 2012. © Amanda Atlee/AI
Acknowledgement
This resource was prepared as a voluntary contribution to Amnesty International Australia by Tegan Hinchey,
BA, DipEd; and Cassandra Duell, BA (Hons), LTCL, GradDipEd.
2
LESSON PLAN PROCESS AND TIME
PROCESS
TIME
(approx)
To introduce students to the idea of the Write for Rights campaign, watch ‘When a letter is
all that is needed’ ow.ly/pOEXj
10 mins
Distribute and read through the Write for Rights vocabulary on page 4 and complete the
Write for Rights crossword on page 5 to familiarise students with the vocabulary required
for the task.
15 mins
Read through the case sheets www.amnesty.org.au/activist/campaign/38121 as a class or
individually.
Discuss the concept of prisoners of conscience ow.ly/pOFSQ and explain to students that
this is what many of the people in the cases are.
10 mins
Then watch ‘Ink’ at ow.ly/pOGw5
5 mins
Students to complete a Think, Ink, Pair, Share activity about the purpose, symbolism and
persuasiveness of the Ink clip.
10 mins
Read 'Your signature is more powerful than you think' on page 6.
10 mins
Read through the annotated letter on page 7 and make note of the persuasive devices and
techniques present. Students can then annotate the sample letter on page 8 themselves.
10 mins
Create a word bank of persuasive and emotive terms that students might use in their own
letters and read through 'Letter writing tips' on page 9.
5 mins
Students use the letter writing scaffold on page 10 to create their own letters based on a
case of their own choosing, or one chosen by you, and share their letter with a peer.
20 mins
Students complete the self-assessment on page 11.
5 mins
5 mins
FOLLOW UP
Students to complete final copies of the letter in the next lesson or for homework. Teachers then collect the
lettes and mail them in an envelope with a completed action return form (found at the back of this resource)
to:
Schools Write for Rights
Locked bag 23
Broadway NSW 2007
Australia
Amnesty International will deliver the letters to their final destination.
Some of the letters could be published in the school’s newsletter or read at an assembly.
3
WRITE FOR RIGHTS CASES VOCABULARY
BURKINA FASO (Girls forced into marriage)
MYANMAR (Phyoe Phyoe Aung)
Refuge: being safe or sheltered from pursuit,
danger, or difficulty.
Constitution: a set of established principles by
which a state is governed.
Resisted: to have withstood the actions of
something or someone.
Baton: stick used by police as a law enforcement
tool - can be manufactured from wood, rubber or
metal.
Clampdown: a concerted or harsh attempt to
suppress something.
Prisoner of conscience: someone imprisoned
because of their race, sexual orientation, religion or
political views.
Reform: to implement change in an attempt to
improve a situation.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO (Yves
Makwambala & Fred Baumma)
Overthrow: to bring about the downfall, through
concerted action, of something or someone.
Regime: A government, or group in charge, often in
power via oppressive and undemocratic means.
Viable: capable of living and developing under
favourable conditions.
EL SALVADOR (Teodora Del Carmen Vasquez)
Aggravated: made more serious by injurious
circumstances.
Appeal: a formal question as to the correctness of a
ruling in the hope that the ruling will be overturned.
Profusely: happening in an abundant manner.
Still-birth: the birth of a dead infant.
SAUDIA ARABIA (Waleed Abu Al-Khair)
Authorities: a group of people who exercise political
power and control.
Crackdown: the severe or stern enforcement of
regulations or laws.
Dubious: something that is unconvincing or
doubtful.
Judiciary: the legal authorities of a country.
USA: Albert Woodfox
Conviction: a formal declaration, in a court of law,
finding someone guilty of a criminal offence.
Testimony: a formal spoken or written statement
made by a witness.
MALAYSIA (Zunar)
Dissent: to hold or express opinions at variance
with those commonly or officially held.
Draconian: exceedingly harsh.
Interrogated: to examine by questioning to seek
information or incriminate a person.
Satirical: exposing and ridiculing human folly,
particularly of an influential or powerful person or
people.
4
WRITE FOR RIGHTS CROSSWORD
Write for Rights Crossword
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10
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Created on TheTeachersCorner.net Crossword Maker
Across
2. To bring about the downfall, through concerted
action, of something or someone.
6. A group of people who exercise political power and
control.
8. The state of being safe or sheltered from pursuit,
danger, or difficulty.
10. Stick used by police as a law enforcement tool can be manufactured from wood, rubber or metal.
11. Exceedingly harsh.
Down
1. A formal declaration, in a court of law, finding
someone guilty of a criminal offence.
3. A government, or group in charge, often in power via
oppressive and undemocratic means.
4. The legal authorities of a country.
5. To hold or express opinions at variance with those
commonly or officially held.
6. A formal question as to the correctness of a ruling
in the hope that the ruling will be overturned.
7. To examine by questioning to seek information or
incriminate a person.
9. Something that is unconvincing or doubtful.
5
THE PEN IS MIGHTIER
THAN THE SWORD
“While before I felt all hope had gone,
the story changed when Amnesty
International came in. The messages I
received overwhelmed me. I regained
hope.” Moses Akatugba
The 2014 Write for Rights campaign broke
records, with 3,245,565 actions by hundreds of
thousands of people in over 200 countries and territories!
Even more importantly, we saw loads of human rights change
that improved people’s lives.
In Nigeria the Governor of Delta State responded to
pressure from Amnesty supporters and granted a full
pardon to Moses Akatugba, who had been sentenced to
death aged 16 for allegedly stealing three phones.
In the Philippines, police announced that letters sent by
a “human rights organisation” – which we can confidently
say is Amnesty International – prompted them to
investigate the torture of Jerryme Corre, who was electricshocked, punched and threatened with death.
© AI
"To all my new supportive
Amnesty friends: I wish to meet
every one of you to express my
gratitude! You are wonderful
people. ... This is everything I
have dreamt of and hoped for. It
was worth the fight. It took a long
time, but when the results of our
work finally came, it felt great.”
In Norway the government said it will amend the law to
establish a process for legal gender recognition following
our campaigning for John Jeanette Solstad Remø, a
transgender woman who was unable to change her legal gender
without compulsory medical treatment.
In China, authorities finally allowed jailed anti-corruption
activist Liu Ping a visit from her daughter.
In Uzbekistan, the family of Erkin Musaev, who was
falsely accused of spying and jailed for 20 years after
unfair trials, have told us your letters gave him “strength,
optimism and faith. Erkin passes on a huge thank you to
everyone who is not indifferent to his fate."
In Egypt, Australian Al Jazeera journalist Peter Greste,
and recently his colleagues Baher Mohammed and
Mohamed Fahmy walked free from Tora prison following
international outcry.
In Saudi Arabia, blogger Raif Badawi has been spared
weekly flogging following sustained global pressure. He
was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment and 1,000
lashes after founding an online forum for political debate.
John Jeanette Solstad Remø
“I cannot describe my feeling, to
wake up one day and find that the
whole world is talking about Raif’s
case. It is a very beautiful feeling.
At times when Raif called me I
conveyed to him the activities of
Amnesty International’s campaign.
I even remember that suddenly he
started to cry out of joy, and he said
to me: ‘Ensaf how can I thank all
those people who supported me; I
want to thank them one by one.”
Ensaf Haider, wife of Raif Badawi
These things happened because we picked up our pens,
wrote letters and stood together for human rights. Just imagine
what we can do this year.
6
ANNOTATED LETTER
Formal title
and address
of recipient
Minister of Justice and Human Rights
Burkina Faso
Formal
greeting to
recipient
Introductory
statement
that outlines
purpose of
the letter
Dear Minister
I am writing to express serious concern about the widespread practice of early
and forced marriage in Burkina Faso, particularly within the Sahel region.
As well as early and forced marriage being banned under your country’s law,
it is also forbidden under international human rights treaties to which Burkina
Faso is party. Despite this, evidence has shown that at least one third of girls
in Burkina Faso are married before the age of 18 – many of these girls are still
children. This has far-reaching consequences for their health, safety and human
rights.
Statement of
the desired
outcome of
the letter
Minister, I respectfully urge you and your government to enforce national law
and international obligations banning forced and early marriage. This must be
reinforced by raising awareness among the population and letting girls at risk
know where they can find assistance.
Furthermore, I call on you to guarantee that victims of early and forced
marriages are protected and offered support services.
Thank you for your attention to this critical matter.
Formal sign
off to the
letter
Sincerely
Alex Citizen
Description of
the specific
action required
to meet
the desired
outcome
Your signature –
remember, it is
more powerful
than you think!
Key
……
= Strong emotive language
President = Formal respectful language
7
SAMPLE LETTER
Sr. Nicolás Maduro Moros
President of Venezuela
Final Avenida Urdaneta
Esq. De Bolero
Palacio de Miraflores,
Caracas, Distrito Capital,
Venezuela
Señor Presidente / Dear President
Re: Daniel Quintero
I am very concerned for Daniel Quintero, a 21-year-old who was beaten, intimidated and threatened with
rape by members of Venezuela’s national guard, after he was arrested on the way home from an antigovernment demonstration in February 2014.
I call on you to investigate thoroughly, independently and impartially Daniel Quintero’s complaint of being
subject to torture and ill-treatment and ensure all those responsible are brought to justice.
I also call on you to ensure all complaints of human rights violations and abuses are investigated thoroughly,
independently and impartially. Identify all those responsible and bring them to justice.
Finally, please guarantee that people can exercise their right to freedom of expression and assembly without
fear of reprisals.
Yours sincerely,
8
LETTER WRITING TIPS
A FEW SIMPLE RULES
1. Always be polite. You want to stop human rights abuse by persuading the government involved to take
immediate action.
2. It is important to show respect for a country's legal processes and an understanding of its current
difficulties. This will make it easier to point out how the human rights situation could be improved.
3. Take care to follow Amnesty International's instructions on a case because it has carefully researched
the situation and developed an appropriate and respectful course of action.
4. Use plain language rather than technical terms. You will be more effective if you say that your concern
for human rights is about equality and the principles of international law, not about the country’s
politics.
5. It is good to give them an idea of who and what you are. Tell them your age, your interests, a bit about
the place you live. It will prove your letter is genuine and show the government that different people
from across the world are watching their country.
6. If you have a special interest or link with the country, it is good to mention this in your letter. For
instance, you may have been on holiday there, or studied its history, or been a member of a local
friendship association.
7. Be brief. Sometimes a simple, one-line letter is adequate. Try to write one page at the most, as long
letters are less likely to be read.
8. Emphasise how the person you are writing to has the power to make a difference.
SIGNING OFF
To end your letter, you can say ‘Yours truly’ or ‘Yours sincerely’. However, many people prefer to use the
more formal ‘Yours respectfully’ or ‘Yours faithfully’.
9
LETTER WRITING SCAFFOLD
Formal title and
address of recipient
Formal greeting to
recipient
Introductory statement
that outlines the
purpose of the letter
Statement of the
desired outcome of the
letter
Description of the
specific action required
to meet the desired
outcome
Formal sign off to the
letter
Your signature
10
SELF ASSESSMENT FOR MY LETTER
Student name:........................................................................ Date: .....................................
Expected quality
Indicators of student performance
High
Medium
Low
□
I argued a clear point
of view about my chosen
topic.
□ I argued a generally
□ I argued a point of
□ I supported my point
□ I supported my
□ I supported my
□ I demonstrated
□ I demonstrated
□ My exposition had a
□ I used a highly
□ I had a clear and
□ I had an introduction
consistent introduction
and conclusion.
and/or conclusion.
Style appropriate for
intended audience and
purpose
□ I consistently
□ I employed some
□ I used one of
Control of written language
□ I used effective
□ My choice of
□ I occasionally used
□ I used accurate
□ My spelling and
Relevant and detailed
content organised to support
a point of view
of view effectively with
appropriately-selected
and highly relevant
factual information.
Structure and organisation
logic, coherence and
controlled development
of ideas.
engaging introduction
and highly effective
conclusion.
employed language
styles appropriate
to expositions eg
emotive and persuasive
language, in an effective
manner, and for the
intended audience and
purpose.
vocabulary and
accurate and persuasive
language.
paragraphing, spelling
and punctuation.
clear point of view about
my chosen topic.
point of view with
some relevant factual
information.
logic and controlled
development of ideas to
some extent.
language styles
appropriate to
expositions and the
intended audience and
purpose, but I did not
do so consistenly.
vocabulary was generally
effective and I used
accurate language.
view.
point of view with some
information.
number of ideas.
the language styles
appropriate to
expositions.
accurate language,
including spelling and
punctuation.
punctuation was
generally accurate.
Adapted from NSW DEET 2009
11
Please photocopy and post this form back every time you send letters, cards and
other actions to Amnesty.
RETUR
NING
YOUR
ACTIO
NS
THE NAME OF YOUR SCHOOL ______________________________________________________________________________________
TYPE OF ACTION (EG PETITION, LETTER) ____________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
ARE YOU AN AMNESTY SCHOOL GROUP? ____________________________________________________________________________
BEST CONTACT DETAILS FOR THE SCHOOL __________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
HOW MANY ACTIONS?______________________________________________________________________________________________
Mail to: Amnesty International, Locked Bag 23, Broadway NSW 2007 Australia
Please photocopy and post this form back every time you send letters, cards and
other actions to Amnesty.
RETUR
NING
YOUR
ACTIO
NS
THE NAME OF YOUR SCHOOL ______________________________________________________________________________________
TYPE OF ACTION (EG PETITION, LETTER) ____________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
ARE YOU AN AMNESTY SCHOOL GROUP? ____________________________________________________________________________
BEST CONTACT DETAILS FOR THE SCHOOL __________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
HOW MANY ACTIONS?______________________________________________________________________________________________
Mail to: Amnesty International, Locked Bag 23, Broadway NSW 2007 Australia