KS3 Lesson Plan - Citizenship
Aim: To consider the idea that ‘One Person Can Make a Difference’, even in the face of terrible events.
Starter: In rough, make some notes on one of the following:
- Have you ever been in a situation where you changed someone’s point of view, or stopped someone doing something you thought to be wrong? Or
- Think of one or two individuals, either in the past or today, who have done something which has made a positive difference to the lives of other people.
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Group work
In small groups, look at the profiles provided of the individuals who ‘made a difference’ during the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide. Some of them had jobs, or worked for voluntary (and sometimes secret) organisations.
- What sort of organisation(s) did they work for? Make a list.
- How helpful were these organisations?
- Were any of them helped by people in other countries?
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Class discussion
- What made these people act as they did, do you think?
- What stopped other people from doing as they did?
Individual work
Choose one, or two, of these individual profiles. Write a short summary of their actions.
- How did their actions ‘make a difference’?
- Why do you think people want to remember their courage today?
- Is there anything we can learn ourselves from their story?
Extension work
Q. Are there any lessons for our society from these stories?
Find out: More information about the cities in which they live(d).
- KS 3 Lesson Plan - Citizenship (PDF document)

