In 1945, the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt began working to defend and expand human rights worldwide. In 1946, President Harry S. Truman appointed Roosevelt to the U.S. Delegation of the United Nations, acknowledging Roosevelt’s deep commitment to protecting human rights. As head of the Human Rights Commission, Roosevelt was instrumental in creating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which was approved unanimously by the UN in late 1948. The Declaration was the first step in the process of formulating the International Bill of Human Rights, which was completed in 1966.

In this activity, students will analyze the impact of the Declaration and Eleanor Roosevelt’s influence on it. Students will have the opportunity to update the UDHR to meet present day needs, forging a connection between history and current events. 

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize important issues related to the struggle to protect human rights historically and in current times.
• Determine Eleanor Roosevelt's role in protecting and advocating for human rights in the U.S. and world-wide.
• Develop collaborative and persuasive arguments and communicate them to an audience.
• Recognize the viewpoints of various groups and philosophies in the human rights debate.

Opening Activity: Definining and differentiating civil rights, civil liberties, and human rights.

As a class, discuss the differences and overlaps between civil rights, civil liberties, and human rights. How do students think these terms relate to one another? Can students city examples, either historic or contemporary, for each? Once students have shared their responses, share the following definitions:

• Civil rights: the basic right to be free from unequal treatment based on certain protected characteristics (race, gender, disability, etc.) in settings such as employment, education, housing, and access to public facilities. 
• Civil liberties: the basic rights and freedoms that are guaranteed in the Bill of Rights and the Constitution, either verbatim or based on interpretion by legislatures or the courts. Examples include rights to free speech, privacy, the right to vote.
• Human Rights: rights granted to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status. Examples include the right to life, freedom from slavery, freedom of expression.