global education toolkit activities

Who would you choose to be you friend?

This activity is designed to find out to what extent pupils have preconceived ideas about who they would choose as a friend, based on appearance, ethnicity or gender.

What’s the same? What’s different?

Are pupils able to think of other children or young people, who may live in very different places, as sharing many similarities to themselves.

What do you think they’re thinking?

To what extent are pupils able to see similarities between themselves and others and empathise with someone whose life may be different? To what extent are pupils’ responses stereotyped by gender, ethnicity or nationality?

China, UK or both?

How aware are pupils of the similarities between their own country and others, and what are pupils’ preconceptions of lifestyles, food and products in other countries, and their awareness of the global nature of modern culture?

Brazil or UK?

Explore pupils’ perceptions of Brazil and the UK and find out if they recognise the diversity of people and places in both countries. Getting the right answers is less important than finding out why choices have been made.

Where in the world?

Whether pupils hold preconceived ideas about different people and places.

Majority World or Minority World?

Whether pupils hold preconceptions about the characteristics of Majority and Minority World countries, their similarities, and their understanding of development and global interdependence.

What would you see in a country in Africa?

To what extent are pupils’ views of countries in Africa stereotypical?

Is this a family?

Discover pupils´ attitudes towards a diverse range of families. To what extent pupils are comfortable using appropriate language in relation to ethnicity and sexuality

Who will have which job?

To what extent do pupils hold stereotyped ideas of gender and ethnicity?

Which jobs are for women or men?

Explore which characteristics and skills pupils define as typically feminine or typically masculine. What do pupils think are prerequisites for different jobs and do they relate to gender characteristics or skills?

Which Toys Are for Girls and Which Are for Boys?

To what extent pupils hold stereotypical ideas about gender and how they relate that to behaviour and activities for children.

What do you think about the hijab?

Explore the attitudes of pupils towards Muslim women who wear hijab or niqab and towards Islam locally and globally.

How British is Britain?

What pupils understand by the term “British” in relation to culture and identity. Substitute the name of whichever country your pupils live and work in.

What do these children need?

What needs do pupils attribute to children in different parts of world, and to what extent do stereotypes about different countries and people affect their choices?

What does home mean?

Explore pupils’ attitudes to the idea of home and discover what criteria they use to judge what is important. To what extent do they consider everyone’s right to a home, the impact on the environment and the need for community and security?

Which would make the best home?

Human Rights for Everyone?

Explore pupils’ attitudes towards the universality of human rights. To what extent do pupils think that human rights are universal and inherent, or do pupils think that should be earned?

Whose Responsibility are Human Rights?

Whether pupils are aware of Human Rights and how systems to protect them work around the world. To what extent pupils are willing to take advantage of opportunities to take action for social justice in relation to Human Rights.

Where do the world’s refugees go?

Pupils’ knowledge and understanding about the inequalities in the global distribution of population, wealth and refugees, and their attitudes to these inequalities. Explore awareness of bias in the media and pupils’ critical thinking skills.

What do you think about migrants?

Find out what pupils think about migrants and whether pupils associate positive, neutral or negative characteristics with them. Explore pupils critical thinking skills and their awareness of bias in the media representation of migrants.

Can you do anything about it?

Find out about pupils´ attitudes towards participation in local and global issues, and about their willingness to take action.

Should I Donate?

Explore what pupils think about charity locally and globally, and their attitudes towards different approaches to poverty alleviation. Find out whether pupils feel they have a responsibility to participate and to what extent they are able to critically evaluate options for charitable giving.

Charity or Justice?

Discover pupils’ attitudes and understanding in relation to charitable activities. Are they able to critically evaluate charitable activities, in which they themselves may have made a significant investment?

Why are people poor?

Pupils’ attitudes towards poverty, its causes and consequences, and whether it is inevitable.

Why are people hungry?

What pupils know and think about the causes and consequences of hunger around the world and what can be done about it.

Which brand is best?

The criteria pupils use to assess a range of companies, producers and organisations whose products or services they may buy.

What would make most difference?

To what extent pupils understand their potential power as consumers and as agents for change – individually or as part of a bigger group; whether they consider the consequences of their actions and whether they are motivated enough by injustice to take action.

What Makes a Good Community?

What pupils consider to be important for the life of a community, the extent to which they take into account the needs of others.

How can I make world a better place?

What pupils think and know about actions they can take to make the world a more just and sustainable place

Which tomatoes would you buy?

What criteria shape pupils’ decisions about the products they buy? To what extent do ethical or environmental implications influence their behaviour as consumers?

To Build or Not to Build?

Explore pupils’ attitudes to environmental and social issues around their local area, and to what extent they can think critically and broadly about multiple viewpoints..

What questions can you ask?

Find out what pupils know and think about water security, climate change and the importance of water conservation, and how that knowledge impacts on their own behaviour.

How much water can you save?

Assess pupils’ knowledge and understanding about water conservation, the connections between water conserving actions and environmental issues around the world, and pupils’ attitudes towards what’s realistic in terms of changes in behaviour.

Which energy for the future?

What pupils know and think about the impacts of energy production and consumption. Explore how pupils make choices about their own futures, the future of others and that of the planet.

What’s the best way to protect the environment?

What pupils think and know about the impact of our choices on the environment, the connections between local environmental actions and global impacts, and their own willingness to take action for the environment.

Fair or Unfair?

What pupils understand by the term ‘fair’ and how developed their understanding of justice is. Do they think injustice is inevitable?

What’s the best way to stop a conflict?

What pupils think about a range of ways in which they could resolve a conflict.

Where is this happening?

The extent of bias in pupils’ attitudes towards the Minority and Majority Worlds; the role of the media in reinforcing this bias.

What do we think about weapons?

What pupils think about armaments. ‘What do we think about weapons in schools?’ can be used first, to gauge pupils’ attitudes to the issue of weapons being brought into school. ‘What do we think about nuclear weapons?’ can be used independently or as a follow-up to measure pupils’ attitudes following a topic or course exploring armaments and/or the arms trade.

Who Exports Conflict?

This activity is designed to find out if pupils are aware of our hidden role in conflict by responding to two Worldmapper maps of exports.

How Do You Describe Peace?

The extent to which pupils’ understanding of peace and conflict is developing. The activity can capture the depth and breadth of their knowledge and understanding, alongside their changing attitudes towards conflict and peace.