You will learn
- Describe the founding and purposes of the UN.
- Name the principal organs.
- State membership facts.
- Describe the UN’s work neutrally.
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 UN was founded in 1945.
- It has 193 member states.
- It has six principal organs.
- Its work includes peace, development and human rights.
Words to know
an organisation of countries founded in 1945 to promote peace, cooperation and human rights
the UN body in which all member states have one vote
the UN body with primary responsibility for international peace and security
UN operations that help countries move from conflict to peace
1. Discover: Fifty-one signatures
Mr Cole tells how, after the Second World War, delegates from 50 countries met in San Francisco and signed the UN Charter on 26 June 1945. Poland signed soon after, making 51 original members. The UN came into being on 24 October 1945, which is now United Nations Day. “Today it has 193 member states, including Sierra Leone, which joined in 1961,” he says. “In the General Assembly each country has one vote. The Security Council has fifteen members, five of them permanent. People debate how well the UN works, and that is part of understanding it.”
Think: Why might countries decide to build an organisation after a big war?
2. Understand: United Nations introduction
Idea 1: Founding and purposes
The United Nations began on 24 October 1945, when its Charter came into force. Its purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, promote cooperation on economic, social and cultural problems, and protect human rights. It now has 193 member states. Sierra Leone joined in 1961.
Idea 2: Six main organs
The six principal organs are the General Assembly (all members, one vote each), the Security Council (15 members; five are permanent), the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice in The Hague, and the Secretariat led by the Secretary-General. The UN’s headquarters are in New York, with major offices in Geneva, Vienna and Nairobi.
Idea 3: Work and debate
The UN runs peacekeeping missions, humanitarian relief, health, education and refugee programmes through bodies such as WHO, UNESCO, UNICEF and UNHCR. People hold different views on how effective it is and how it should change. We learn what it does and what the debates are without taking sides.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): State
The year the UN was founded.
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: 1945.
Example 2 (We do it together): State
How many member states.
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: 193.
Example 3 (You try): Name
A UN organ.
Show the steps and answer
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: General Assembly.
Did you know?
United Nations Day is celebrated every year on 24 October.
Why this matters
Knowing about the UN helps us follow world news and understand global cooperation.
4. Explore: UN organs map
Using a simple diagram of the six UN organs, match each to a job card (all members vote, peace and security, social and economic work, justice, administration). Present one organ and ask a question about it.
- Read.
- Match.
- Present.
- Ask.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Each organ has a different role.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- The UN was founded in ___.
- The UN has ___ member states.
- The General Assembly is ___.
- Peacekeeping is ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. When was the UN founded?
1945.
Question 2. How many members?
193.
Question 3. What is the General Assembly?
All members vote.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- When was the UN founded?
- How many members?
- What is the General Assembly?
- What is peacekeeping?
- Name an organ.
Level 2: Grow
- Why a charter?
- Why agencies?
- Why debate?
Level 3: Stretch
- Read the diagram.
- Match cards.
- Present.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
Explain the purpose of the UN and name two organs.
Show a sample answer
Peace and cooperation; General Assembly and Security Council.
Another one. Find United Nations Day on a calendar and talk about it with an adult.
Show a sample answer
Share.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Sierra Leone joined in 1961.
Fix: Its power is limited.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can describe the founding and purposes of the UN.
- I can name the principal organs.
- I can state membership facts.
- I can describe the UN’s work neutrally.
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 UN was founded in 1945.
- It has 193 member states.
- It has six principal organs.
- Its work includes peace, development and human rights.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: African Union introduction. 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.
- State when the UN was founded and how many members it has. [2 marks]
- Name three principal organs. [3 marks]
- Explain the role of the General Assembly. [3 marks]
- Explain why people debate how well the UN works. [2 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- 1945 [1]; 193 [1]
- Three [3]
- All members [1]; one vote [1]; role [1]
- Reason [1]; example [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 UN founded?
- How many members?
- What is the General Assembly?
- What is peacekeeping?
- Name an organ.
- Why a charter?
- Why agencies?
- Why debate?
- Read the diagram.
- Match cards.
Homework
Draw a UN organ chart.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. When was the UN founded? | 1945. | 1 |
| 2. How many members? | 193. | 1 |
| 3. What is the General Assembly? | All members vote. | 1 |
| 4. What is peacekeeping? | Helping peace. | 1 |
| 5. Name an organ. | Security Council. | 1 |
| 6. Why a charter? | Rules and aims. | 1 |
| 7. Why agencies? | Specialised help. | 1 |
| 8. Why debate? | Improve it. | 1 |
| 9. Read the diagram. | Read. | 1 |
| 10. Match cards. | Match. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 1945.; 2 193.; 3 All members vote.; 4 Helping peace.; 5 Security Council.. Level 2: 1 Rules and aims.; 2 Specialised help.; 3 Improve it.. 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 founding and purposes of the UN | 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 Name the principal organs | 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 State membership facts | 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 Describe the UN’s work neutrally | 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: “The UN was founded in 1961.” Sierra Leone joined in 1961.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Make a UN chart.
- 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 what the United Nations is and does. Please look at a world map together. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Use a map.
- Discuss peace.
- Stay neutral.
- 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 founding and purposes of the UN; name the principal organs; state membership facts; describe the UN’s work neutrally.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 6 ideas: Africa’s regional cooperation and global connections, economic interdependence, human rights and sustainable development.
Materials. Diagram, job cards. 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 organ diagrams.
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 fifty-one signatures story.
Explanation (10 min). Teach the UN.
Guided activity (10 min). UN organs 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 is the United Nations and what does it do?
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. “The UN was founded in 1961.” Sierra Leone joined in 1961.
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 UN chart. 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 10, topic 3; NCSS C3 Framework, global connections, civic and political institutions; Cambridge Lower Secondary Humanities, international cooperation; IB Primary Years Programme, sharing the planet and how we organise ourselves. These sources informed the lesson.