Living Democracy manuals
Teachers often struggle to find appropriate teaching resources for citizenship and human rights education. Those which are currently available vary greatly in quality and coverage of topics is patchy.
The six Council of Europe “Living Democracy” manuals provide teachers with high-quality lesson materials which have been tested by educators in several countries and are flexible enough to enable both experienced and trainee teachers to introduce citizenship and human rights education into their schools in a fun, interactive and challenging way. They draw on expert authors from different parts of Europe and cover the whole age range from primary to secondary or high school.
![Educating for Democracy (2011)](/documents/9577135/10613369/Educating+Cover.jpg/de955d45-4598-4d9d-8bc8-640df34b8b77?t=1429543742000)
Educating for Democracy (2011)
EDC/HRE Volume I
The objective of this manual is to support teachers and practitioners in promoting citizenship and human rights education. It addresses a broad range of key questions, including objectives, competences, and a whole school approach to education for democracy and human rights.
The manual consists of three parts.
- Part I outlines the basic principles of citizenship and human rights education as far as they are helpful and meaningful for the practitioner.
- Part II gives guidelines and tools to design, support and assess the students' processes of constructivist and interactive learning.
- Part III provides toolboxes for teachers and students.
Download the publication in:
![Growing Up In Democracy (2010)](/documents/9577135/10613369/Growing+up+cover.jpg/632682de-6ffc-4378-a8d2-e5d573351689?t=1429544018000)
Growing Up In Democracy (2010)
EDC/HRE Volume II
Growing up in democracy is addressed to teachers who want to integrate citizenship and human rights education in their daily subject teaching. Nine teaching units of approximately four lesson plans each give step-by-step instructions and include student handouts and background information for teachers. The complete manual provides a full school year's curriculum for students in primary school (grades 4 to 6), but as each unit is also complete in itself the manual allows great flexibility in use. It is therefore also suitable for textbook editors, curriculum developers, teacher trainers, student teachers and beginning teachers.
The objective of citizenship and human rights education is to assist children in becoming active citizens who are willing and able to participate in the democratic community. Therefore, it strongly emphasise action and task-based learning. The school community is conceived as a sphere of authentic experience where young people can learn how to participate in democratic decision making and may take responsibility at an early age. Key concepts for citizenship and human rights education are taught as tools of life-long learning.
Download the publication in:
![Living in Democracy (2008)](/documents/9577135/10613369/Living+cover.jpg/a4a97da4-4158-4e0b-bb66-c84a0f990eed?t=1429544292000)
Living in Democracy (2008)
EDC/HRE Volume III
This is a manual for teachers in citizenship and human rights education, textbook editors and curriculum developers. Nine teaching units of approximately four lessons each focus on key concepts. The lesson plans give step-by-step instructions and include student handouts and background information for teachers. In this way, the manual is suited for trainees or beginners in the teaching profession and teachers who are receiving in-service teacher training in citizenship and human rights education. Experienced teachers may draw on the ideas and materials. The complete manual provides a full school year's curriculum for lower secondary classes, but as each unit is also complete in itself, the manual allows great flexibility in use.
Download the publication in:
English French Albanian Azerbaijani Georgian Hungarian Icelandic Macedonian Russian Ukrainian
Taking Part in Democracy (2010)
EDC/HRE Volume IV
This is a manual for teachers in citizenship and human rights education, textbook editors and curriculum developers. Nine teaching units of approximately four lessons each focus on key concepts. The lesson plans give step-by-step instructions and include student handouts and background information for teachers. In this way, the manual is suitable for trainees or beginners in the teaching profession and teachers who are receiving in-service teacher training in citizenship and human rights education. Experienced teachers may draw on the ideas and materials. The complete manual provides a full school year's curriculum for students in upper secondary school (grades 10 to 12), but as each unit is also complete in itself, the manual allows great flexibility of use.
Download the publication in:
![Exploring Children’s Rights (2007)](/documents/9577135/10613369/Exploring+cover.jpg/f5a6ba49-1591-4c93-bf72-d0b1ee509530?t=1429544780000)
Exploring Children’s Rights (2007)
EDC/HRE Volume V
Children should know what rights they have, but they should also learn how to appreciate and to use them. To achieve this, schools must allow for a wide range of learning experiences in children's rights education. Children understand and appreciate their rights by using them, both in school and in everyday life. To encourage children to do so, the challenge for the teacher is to create a setting that is governed by the spirit of democracy and human rights. This manual has been designed for teachers who are looking for tools to teach children's rights to students at primary schools.
Download the publication in:
English French Albanian Azerbaijani Georgian German Hungarian Macedonian Russian
![Teaching Democracy (2009)](/documents/9577135/10613369/Teaching+cover.jpg/2ec33ccf-02c9-48cc-974c-6e130573f13e?t=1429544942000)
Teaching Democracy (2009)
EDC/HRE Volume VI
This teachers' manual contains a collection of exercises and models for in citizenship and human rights education in schools as well as in non-formal settings of education. These teaching models provide the framework to encourage students to become active by offering examples and inroads to understanding general principles of democracy and human rights. Many exercises are adaptable for different age groups, as the level of reflection may vary.
The wide variety of approaches reflects the fact that authors from all parts of Europe have contributed to this book. They have drawn on different sources and traditions of teaching and learning, and have selected models that they know through practical experience and testing in class. However, there is a shared understanding that runs through every part of this book: in citizenship and human rights education, the method carries the message. This manual offers the users the chance to select and to try out different traditions and approaches to this topic.