All resources in Primary Source Project: 6-12 Working Group

American Civil Liberties Union. Jessica Gonzales v. U.S.A.

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In the first case brought by a survivor of domestic violence against the U.S. before an international human rights tribunal, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) found that the United States violated the human rights of Jessica Lenahan (formerly Gonzales) and her children. Case Summary and downloadable court documents

Material Type: Case Study, Primary Source, Reading

Declaration of the Rights of Man (1789)

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The "Declaration of the Rights of Man" was approved by the National Assembly of France on August 26, 1789. It is a fundamental document of the French Revolution and in the history of human rights. It is included in the preamble of the constitutions of both the Fourth French Republic (1946) and Fifth Republic (1958) and is still current. Read the text of the document here.

Material Type: Primary Source, Reading

Magna Carta Translation

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Magna Carta (Latin for Great Charter) is an Angevin charter originally issued in Latin in June 1215. The Magna Carta was the first document forced onto a King of England by a group of his subjects in an attempt to limit his powers by law and protect their rights. The charter is widely known throughout the English speaking world as an important part of the protracted historical process that led to the rule of constitutional law in England and beyond. Read a translation into English here.

Material Type: Primary Source, Reading

NOVA: Tour the Tongue

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How does our sense of taste work, and why did it evolve? What are taste buds, and how do they register the five basic sensations of sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami (a Japanese word describing something "meaty")? In this audio interactive, Danielle Reed of the Monell Chemical Senses Center offers a primer on what happens on your tongue, and in your brain, as you eat.

Material Type: Interactive, Primary Source

Author: David Levin

Primary Source Exemplar: Universal Declaration of Human Rights Social Science Unit

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This document describes a series of lessons in the Social Sciences, all of which are tied to the exploration of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) as a Primary Source Document. They are designed to be given to 9th or 10th grade students in a World History, Cultural Geography, or similar social science class. They are specifically designed to teach the Common Core Standards for Literacy in the Social Sciences, and to engage higher order thinking skills.

Material Type: Assessment, Lesson Plan, Primary Source, Reading, Unit of Study

Author: Wassim Absood

Primary Source Exemplar: Nutrition and Human Rights

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In this unit, students examine the question: How does access to a specific diet (nutrition) impact human rights? As students explore biological information on how the human body uses food as a source of energy, they will explore the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) document, to examine the crucial question of how access to a proper diet is related to a person’s rights.

Material Type: Lesson Plan, Teaching/Learning Strategy, Unit of Study

Author: Joanna Schimizzi