Liaison Newsletter > LIAISON Vol. 3, No. 6, November 1999

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Bringing the World Into the Classroom: The How and Why of Global Education
By Steve Mason

The Grade Six classroom at First Avenue Public School is noisier than usual, and none of the kids are at their desks. Scattered about the room in groups of eight, arms intertwined, they are trying to unravel their human knots to form single circles. After ten minutes, some groups are successful while others are still impossibly tangled. Some of the kids are frustrated, others satisfied. Back in our seats, we embark on a discussion of the skills used to untangle the knot. Answers pour forth: communication, cooperation, patience, support. I ask the class what they would do differently if they did the activity again. “Listen to what other people are saying,” one girl answers. “Think before acting,” someone else adds.

I use their answers to explain that the skills needed to successfully complete the activity are the very same ones that state delegates at the United Nations need to untangle the knot of problems in the world. I ask them to imagine that rather than being in a classroom, they are actually in the General Assembly of the UN, each a delegate from a different country. In order to solve world problems, each delegate must listen carefully, cooperate with others and be patient. Some of the knots are more difficult to untangle than others.

I can see several nods of understanding. Explaining the complexities of the United Nations to a group of eleven year olds may seem like a daunting task, but they are remarkably receptive, especially once they see the connections between this global organization and their everyday lives.

Provinces across Canada have recently been rewriting their curriculum guidelines, and many have put increased emphasis on bringing global issues into the classroom. For many teachers, however, the importance of ‘global ed’ and the means through which to effectively teach it remain unclear. The necessary resources lag behind the curriculum expectations.

Why is educating kids about world issues and the United Nations an important undertaking? Chiefly, it is a significant first step in creating a generation of concerned, aware and involved citizens. Growing up with an awareness of the United Nations, and Canada’s role in it, will better prepare children to help bring about positive global change. It will furnish kids with a knowledge of the institutions through which they can act to solve international problems.

An effective way to generate this knowledge is through experiential activities. Most of us are familiar with the maxim “I hear, I forget; I see, I remember; I do, I understand.” This applies equally well to baking a cake as it does to learning about the UN. An interactive approach, focusing on first-hand experiences, provides kids with the tools necessary to understand the UN and instills in them a belief in their ability to solve international problems. Furthermore, drawing links between the local and global agendas gives kids critical skills that are necessary to evaluate the work of the UN and determine ways for its increased effectiveness.

UNA-Canada is building on these beliefs by developing educational programmes and resources that take an interactive approach to educating kids about the UN and, at the same time, aim to provide teachers with the necessary training and background information to successfully integrate global ed into their classrooms. These resources focus on educating about the UN in the context of human rights and global issues, seen from a Canadian perspective.

Several of UNAC’s resources, including curriculum guides and background information, are available on its website (www.unac.org/teachers). With the help of CIDA Public Engagement funding, UNA-Canada is in the development phases of a project that anticipates implementation of global education programmes in schools across the country. To ensure that these issues remain on the education agenda, UNAC is also developing training sessions for educators and volunteers.

As the kids at First Avenue PS can vouch, learning about the UN can be a fun and interesting endeavour. It just takes a bit of imagination, a bit of patience, and a lot of cooperation. Not all that different from the UN itself.

Steve Mason is the Project Officer for Educational Outreach at the UN Association in Canada. You can reach him at 613-232-5751 x248 or steve@unac.org.