You will learn
- Describe the CRC and its four principles.
- Group children’s rights.
- Name the Child Rights Act 2007.
- Explain where to find safe help.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- The CRC was adopted in 1989.
- It has four guiding principles.
- Children have survival, development, protection and participation rights.
- Adults must protect and support children.
Words to know
a formal agreement between countries on a subject
what is best for a child when decisions affect them
keeping people safe from harm
taking part and having a say
1. Discover: The child-friendly poster
Ms Smith holds up a child-friendly poster of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. “The United Nations adopted it in 1989,” she says. “Nearly every country has joined, including Sierra Leone. It says children have the right to be free from discrimination, to have decisions made in their best interests, to live and develop, and to be listened to. Sierra Leone also has its Child Rights Act of 2007. If a child feels unsafe, they should tell a trusted adult, a teacher, or a child helpline.”
Think: Who are trusted adults you could talk to about something worrying?
2. Understand: Children’s rights
Idea 1: The Convention
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was adopted by the United Nations in 1989 and is the most widely ratified human rights treaty. It defines a child as a person under 18. Its four guiding principles are non-discrimination, the best interests of the child, the right to life, survival and development, and respect for the views of the child.
Idea 2: Four groups of rights
Children’s rights are often grouped as survival (food, health, a home), development (education, play, culture), protection (from harm and exploitation) and participation (to be heard and to take part). Sierra Leone’s Child Rights Act of 2007 puts many of these into national law.
Idea 3: Duties and safe help
Governments, communities and families have duties to protect children’s rights. Children also have responsibilities to respect others’ rights. A child who feels unsafe or worried should tell a trusted adult such as a parent, relative, teacher or counsellor, or contact a child helpline.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Define
Best interests.
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: What is best for the child.
Example 2 (We do it together): Define
Participation.
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: Having a say.
Example 3 (You try): Name
The year of the CRC.
Show the steps and answer
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: 1989.
Did you know?
The CRC has 54 articles and has been ratified by almost every country in the world.
Why this matters
Knowing children’s rights helps pupils and adults treat children fairly.
4. Explore: Rights and duties map
Match six child-friendly rights to the adult duties that protect them (for example, education → a safe school; health → clinics and clean water; participation → listening in school councils). Present a map.
- Read.
- Match.
- Draw.
- Present.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Every right needs someone with a duty.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- The CRC was adopted in ___.
- Best interests means ___.
- Protection means ___.
- Participation means ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. When was the CRC adopted?
1989.
Question 2. What is best interests?
What is best for the child.
Question 3. What is protection?
Safety from harm.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- When was the CRC adopted?
- What is best interests?
- What is protection?
- What is participation?
- Name the Sierra Leone law.
Level 2: Grow
- Why adult duties?
- Why listen to children?
- Why safe adults?
Level 3: Stretch
- Read rights.
- Match duties.
- Present.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
Explain two children’s rights and one adult duty.
Show a sample answer
Education and protection; safe schools.
Another one. Talk with an adult about who you can ask for help if you feel worried.
Show a sample answer
Share.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: They have rights now.
Fix: Rights come with responsibilities.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can describe the CRC and its four principles.
- I can group children’s rights.
- I can name the Child Rights Act 2007.
- I can explain where to find safe help.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- The CRC was adopted in 1989.
- It has four guiding principles.
- Children have survival, development, protection and participation rights.
- Adults must protect and support children.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Rights and responsibilities. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- Define best interests and participation. [2 marks]
- Name three groups of children’s rights. [3 marks]
- Explain one adult duty for one child right. [3 marks]
- Explain who children can ask for help. [2 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Best interests [1]; participation [1]
- Three [3]
- Right [1]; duty [1]; reason [1]
- Who [1]; why [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- When was the CRC adopted?
- What is best interests?
- What is protection?
- What is participation?
- Name the Sierra Leone law.
- Why adult duties?
- Why listen to children?
- Why safe adults?
- Read rights.
- Match duties.
Homework
Draw a rights tree.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. When was the CRC adopted? | 1989. | 1 |
| 2. What is best interests? | What is best for the child. | 1 |
| 3. What is protection? | Safety from harm. | 1 |
| 4. What is participation? | Having a say. | 1 |
| 5. Name the Sierra Leone law. | Child Rights Act 2007. | 1 |
| 6. Why adult duties? | Children need protection. | 1 |
| 7. Why listen to children? | Their views matter. | 1 |
| 8. Why safe adults? | Get help. | 1 |
| 9. Read rights. | Read. | 1 |
| 10. Match duties. | Match. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 1989.; 2 What is best for the child.; 3 Safety from harm.; 4 Having a say.; 5 Child Rights Act 2007.. Level 2: 1 Children need protection.; 2 Their views matter.; 3 Get help.. Level 3: 1 Read.; 2 Match.; 3 Present..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Describe the CRC and its four principles | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Group children’s rights | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Name the Child Rights Act 2007 | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Explain where to find safe help | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “Children have no rights until they are adults.” They have rights now.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Make a rights poster.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns about children’s rights in a general and supportive way. Please talk about who they can go to for help. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Name trusted adults.
- Listen calmly.
- Seek help if worried.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: describe the CRC and its four principles; group children’s rights; name the Child Rights Act 2007; explain where to find safe help.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 6 ideas: purposes of government, constitutions, courts, elections and accountability.
Materials. Child-friendly CRC poster. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Prepare posters and helpline information.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Tell the child-friendly poster story.
Explanation (10 min). Teach children’s rights.
Guided activity (10 min). Rights and duties map.
Independent activity (10 min). Discuss.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What rights do children have and who protects them?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with a picture, story, map or local example. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always ask “how do you know?” and invite more than one view. Treat every family, culture and community with respect, and never ask learners to share private information.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use pictures, maps, real objects and short sentences, and let learners work with a partner. Let learners point, show, act or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example from their own community and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “Children have no rights until they are adults.” They have rights now.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Make a rights poster. Enrichment. Find one new example near your home or school, draw or write about it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: NCSS standards and C3 Framework, Cambridge Primary Humanities and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Social Studies curriculum, Grade 6 Unit 6, topic 3; NCSS C3 Framework, civic virtues and democratic principles, participation and deliberation; Cambridge Lower Secondary Humanities, rights and responsibilities; IB Primary Years Programme, sharing the planet and how we organise ourselves. These sources informed the lesson.