New Zealand vigils

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6815029/Thousands-people-come-globe-vigils.html


https://metro.co.uk/2019/03/15/christian-tells-muslims-will-keep-watch-pray-8910942/?fbclid=IwAR0JclbGXth-k0gvMxKkAYH_qXuTYLGRDdorkVNHB09yAh-A7dv602mEyA4

Following the tragic attacks last week where 49 people were killed in a Mosque, thousands of people from different faiths and backgrounds have come together across the globe to pay tribute to the victims.

The photo shows people laying flowers and candles at a vigil in Hyde Park, London. There were vigils in cities all over the world as people said no to terrorism and stood together for peace. The organiser of the London vigil Zaharan Sofi said, "I am a British Muslim and I want to make sure that people come together. Bringing people together is how you deal with terrorism. In this sensitive time and in our society it is important that we all know we are human beings first."

Notes left at the Mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand read, "We are one", "This is not NZ" and "You are my friends, I will keep watch while you pray."

A Christian man in Manchester stood outside his local Mosque holding the same sign to support Muslims as they prayed. Andrew Greystone said, "We can respond to these things with either fear or friendship so I thought I would go to my local mosque and make it clear I saw the people there as friends."

Andrew lives in Levenshulme and says, "Levenshulme is a very mixed and multicultural area where there could easily be tension but there doesn't have to be if we choose friendship instead."

Christians in Birmingham also handed out flowers at Birmingham Central Mosque.

What do you see in the pictures?
What do you think is happening?
Why is is happening?

- What do you notice about the people in the Hyde Park photo- are they all the same?
- Is everyone white? Everyone Muslim? Everyone Christian? Are there different nationalities in the crowd? People with disabilities? LGBT people? Different ages? What does that crowd show us about the UK today? (that it is diverse)
- What are those people saying? (that we are different but we want to live in peace)
- Why did the attack in New Zealand happen? (because not everyone agrees with us and No Outsiders. Some people want to make others feel like outsiders; they think if you have different skin or a different faith or a different culture that you don't belong. It's the opposite view to us in our school- we know that you can have different skin or different faith or different culture and you do belong. We like it that way, that's why we say there are no outsiders so that everyone is welcome and everyone is always safe.)
- why does one note at the mosque say, "This is not New Zealand"?
- why does Zaharan say, "Bringing people together is how you deal with terrorism"? what does she mean?
- what does she mean by "We are human beings first"?
- why is the Christian man saying he will keep watch while people of Muslim faith pray?
- What is he showing about people of different faith in the UK today?
- he says "Choose friendship," why?
- what can we learn from the man?
- why is this story about No Outsiders?

At the end of the discussion I will hold a minute silence to think about all those affected by the attack.

International Women's Day

https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2360978838786181560#editor/target=post;postID=8863706747112004524

Tess Asplund lives in Sweden and stood in front of 300 members of the Nordic Resistance Movement in 2016 when they tried to march in Stockholm. The group promotes racist and discriminatory ideas. Tess said, "It was an impulse. I was so angry, I just went out on the street. I was thinking, 'hell no, they can't march here!' I had this adrenaline. No Nazi is going to march here, it's not okay."

Tess was later named one of  BBCs most inspirational women in 2016.

- what do you see in the picture?
- what are the similarities between the people?
- what are the differences?
- what do you think is happening?

explain the story

- why did Tess feel angry about the Nordic Resistance Movement marching through Stockholm?
- why do people go on marches?
- why did  Tess say, "It's not okay" that they march?
- How do you think Tess felt when she stood in front of the marchers?
- How do you think the marchers felt?
- This photo went viral, why?
- Do you think Tess managed to stop the march? (no) so why make that stand? What's the point?
- why do you think Tess was named one of the women of the year?
- why was this picture shared on International Women's Day? What does this photo tell us about women today?
- What is International Women's Day for?
- what can we learn from Tess?
- Why is this story about No Outsiders?

No Outsiders in our school: Teaching the Equality Act in primary schools by Andrew Moffat

Reclaiming radical ideas in schools: Preparing young children for life in modern Britain by Andrew Moffat

women's suffrage map

https://matadornetwork.com/read/year-women-became-eligible-vote-country/?fbclid=IwAR2wgpPY_57Fc1RSrEV0b-2kE-m8jO-55uoU1wfMhE7zo2ieF4-kCbGpc54

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/08/international-womens-day-marked-across-the-world

Friday March 9th was International Women's Day with protests and celebrations held across the globe marking gender equality.

In Spain 6 million people held a protest to demand equal pay and equal rights for women. Thousands of women marched through Madrid holding placards that read, "Liberty, Equality, Friendship" and, "The way I dress does not change the respect I deserve."

In Portugal flags were flown at half mast and a day of mourning was observed to show respect for women killed by domestic violence.

In the UK Meghan Markle joined a debate at Kings College. London. Megan is pregnant and described how she felt inspired by the thought that her baby might be kicking for feminism. She said, "Boy or girl, whatever it is, we hope that's the case."

In Russia there were different celebrations. Photos were displayed in an army recruitment office of women in ballerina dresses next to men in army uniforms. The President of Russia congratulated women for managing everything at home and work while staying "beautiful, bright and charming."

The photo shows the year women were eligible to vote in each country. However some of these dates are misleading; often only white women were allowed to vote, or those married or those who owned homes.

What do you see in the picture?
What do you think the dates represent?
Ask the children what special day was celebrated across the world on Friday, now can anyone guess what the dates show?

explain the picture

- what is International Women's Day? Why is it celebrated every year?
- What is gender equality?
- Do we have universal gender equality today?
- Why were women not allowed to vote for such a long time?
- Today there are 650 MPs in the House of Commons. Can anyone guess how many of those MPs are women? There are 208 female MPs today, 32%.
- In 2010 there were only 143 female MPs. What does this show us about gender equality in the UK, is it improving? Is 32% enough?
- Why did women in Spain hold placards saying, ""The way I dress does not change the respect I deserve." what do they mean?
- What do the posters in Russia showing women in ballet dresses and men in army uniform tell us about gender? What do you think the women in Spain would think about those posters?
- Why doesn't the Russian president congratulate men for being "beautiful, bright and charming"?
- What does this show about different ideas and attitudes towards gender equality around the world? Is it okay to have different ideas?
- why does Meghan Markle hope her baby supports feminism? She says "Boy or girl, whatever it is" what does that show about her attitude towards gender equality?
- why is this picture and story about No Outsiders?

No Outsiders in our school: Teaching the Equality Act in Primary Schools by Andrew Moffat

Reclaiming radical ideas in schools: Preparing young children for life in modern Britain by Andrew Moffat

autism poem

https://viralslot.com/people/heartwarming/autistic-boy-writes-touching-poem-for-homework/?fbclid=IwAR2ImUgVBLNtS5K4jlzD2G4ZcGZAV8TJprB71oCFAoWufpB4PeX0crl-hIE

Benjamin Girouox is ten years old and for homework was asked to write a poem. He decided to write a poem called, "I am" about how it feels for him to live with autism.
Benjamin's poem explains how he feels different. The poem has gone viral and the National Autistic Society has shared it.




What do you see in the picture?
What do you think the poem is about?
Do any lines stand out for you?
Read the poem in full and explain the story

- what is autism (I asked a child with autism how to describe what autism means. Oliver told me, "autism is your brain wired differently so you see the world in a different way. It' just a different view of the world." Oliver says some things are harder for him but but also he better at some things than other children.)
- Benjamin said he didn't want to write a poem that just rhymed, why do you think he chose to wrote this this poem?
- why does Benjamin say, "I'm odd... I wonder if you are too? (is he saying that we are all different; we all have things about us that are 'odd'?)
- why does Benjamin say, "I feel like a boy in outer space, I touch the stars and feel out of place"?
- how does Benjamin feel when people laugh at him? he says it makes him "shrink" what does he mean?
- what does 'castaway' mean? Why does Benjamin choose to use that word?
- Benjamin says "I dream of a day that it's ok, I try to fit in, I hope that someone day I do"- what does Benjamin want more than anything else?
- this poem has gone viral; why do you think that is? What does this show about how people around the world feel about autism and people being different?
- How can we help Benjamin?
- What can we do in our school today to make sure no one feels like a castaway?
- If you could meet Benjamin what would you say to him?
- Why is this story about No Outsiders?

No Outsiders in our school: Teaching the Equality Act in Primary Schools by Andrew Moffat

Reclaiming radical ideas in schools: Preparing young children for life in modern Britain by Andrew Moffat 

Thank you to Oliver for his help in writing this assembly plan.

Refugee Olympic swimmer

https://www.unhcr.org/news/latest/2019/1/5c3c6e054/syrian-refugee-strives-to-make-a-splash-at-tokyo-olympics.html

Eid Aljazairli wants to take part in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo as a swimmer. He is 24 years old and only learned to swim in the last year. Eid is a refugee from Damascus where he left because of war. In London he lives with a family you can see in the photo.

When Eid travelled to Britain in a boat he couldn't swim and during the journey the boast ran in to trouble. Eid says he thought he would die but he made it. He was later inspired by a video of Michael Phelps on youtube and decided to learn to swim.

When he first went swimming Eid could not do it He says he tried again and again and got angry and sad, but he never gave up and kept going back. He watched a swimming coach teaching a group and copied what they were doing. The coach noticed Eid coming back again and again and gave him a pair of goggles. Another coach then gave him a free lesson. Eid says he felt "Happiness in his heart" as he was able to learn to swim. The first time Eid swam a full length he remembers seeing the coach in a green vest screaming at him to not give up and when he touched the wall the whole pool erupted in cheers.

The coaches were impressed with his effort and attitude and invited Eid to join swimming lessons. He put so much effort in, training for hours each day, that he became very good. He started entering competitions and winning medals. In October last year the Olympic committee announced there would be a refugee team at the games and now Eid has a goal.

Eid is studying English and Maths at a local college, he says, "I'm proud to be a refugee but I'm not just that, I'm a dreamer. We are people, we are doctors, engineers... when someone loses their home people think they are nothing, that they have no future. But no, we are just people, we are all the same."

What do you see in the picture?
What do you notice about the family on the top picture?
What do you think is the link between the two pictures?

explain the story

- what is a refugee? (someone who has to leave their home to be safe)
- Why do you think Eid started swimming?
- why was it so hard for him? Why didn't he give up?
- how do you think Eid felt when someone gave him goggles?
- why do you think that person gave him goggles?
- why do you think the pool erupted when Eid swam his first length? What does that mean?
- Why do you think Eid has a lot of support? What does that show about how lots of people feel about refugees in the UK today?
- Why do you think the Olympics has a refugee team?
- why do you think Eid wants to make the Olympic team?
- Eid says refugees are people; "We are doctors, engineers" why is he saying that?
- "we are just people, we are all the same" what does he mean?
- What can we learn from Eid?
- what can we learn from the coaches in the swimming pool?
- why is this story about No Outsiders?

No Outsiders in our school: Teaching the equality act in primary schools by Andrew Moffat

Reclaiming radiocal ideas in schools: Preparing young children from life in modern Britain by Andrew Moffat