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Key Stage 3

Activities fortutor time/pshe

Hassan is 12 years old and lives in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone.

The Ebola outbreak reached Freetown in the summer of 2014 and, after his mother died of the virus, Hassan was left an orphan. Schools were closed to prevent the spread of Ebola and Hassan and his brother were left at home alone with no one to support them and nothing to do.

Today Sierra Leone is free from Ebola and Hassan lives with his uncle. Street Child Sierra

Leone, a project funded by Comic Relief, has enabled Hassan to go back to school by helping to cover his school fees and providing him with a uniform, backpack and books. Hassan is working hard at school and hopes to become a doctor to help his community.

Watch our short film about Hassan with your class and choose from the suggested activities to explore the issues it raises.

To empathise with the life of a young person in Africa, recognising similarities and differences

To express opinions and ideas through group discussion and debate

To think about early aspirations for work in relation to strengths, interests and qualities

To learn about the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child and relate it to the lives of children like Hassan

Film: ‘Hassan’s story’ from rednoseday.com/secondaryresources

Activity sheet: ‘Hassan and me’ on page 4

Activity sheet: ‘Ebola: finding out more’ on page 5

Activity sheet: ‘Children’s rights’ on page 6

Internet access for the activity ‘Ebola: finding out more’

Learning objectives: You will need:

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Activity ideas

15mins

Moving images

Watch the film ‘Hassan’s story’ with the students (you can find this at rednoseday.com/secondaryresources).

Ask them to pick out parts of the film that they found particularly moving or striking. What do they think would be the toughest thing about Hassan’s life? What have they learnt about the Ebola virus? Do they know how it spread? Why did Hassan have to stay in the quarantine zone?

30mins

Hassan and me

Give each student a copy of the sheet ‘Hassan and me’. Ask them to read each of the statements made by Hassan and to fill in the second column with a similar statement about themselves.

For example, while Hassan says: ‘I want to become a doctor to help my people’, a student might write ‘I want to become a comedian because I love making people laugh.’

Share students’ statements as a group. How are students in the class similar to Hassan? In which ways are they most different?

20mins

My dream job

Hassan is working hard at school with the aim of becoming a doctor so he can help his community.

Go round the class asking students about their job aspirations. Why do they think a particular job will be good for them? Does it make the most of their strengths? Match their interests? Suit their personality?

Ebola: finding out more

In small groups, ask students to complete the ‘Ebola: finding out more’ activity sheet (they will need internet access to carry out research). Which facts and figures do they find most surprising?

Talk with students about what they feel helps them to understand the Ebola crisis best – factual information like this, or Hassan’s story?

30mins

Pick and choose from the following activities to develop students’ understanding of the issues raised by Hassan’s story and why they are going to raise money this Red Nose Day.

Why not complete a range of them, building up to your own class fundraising activity in Red Nose Week?

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Activity ideas

Children’s rights

In groups, give students a copy of the sheet summarising 10 key rights from the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child. Ask them to number them from 1 to 10, with 1 being the right they think is most important and 10 being the least important. Share the different groups’ ideas.

Having learnt about Hassan’s life, which rights do you think children like him might miss out on? How do projects like the one funded with Red Nose Day money help?

30mins

Fundraising action

Has finding out about Hassan’s life inspired students to raise more money for Red Nose Day?

Talk with the class about possible fundraising activities you could organise. Could you run a break time bake sale? A tombola? Take on a sponsored challenge?

If your school already has activities planned for Red Nose Day, why not spread the fundraising out? Organise your class activity for earlier in Red Nose Week, or even for the week before.

30mins

Debate: how important is education?

Hassan believes that education is vital:

‘They’re teaching me how to lead a modern life.’

‘My mother wanted me to go to school so I could be self-reliant.’

‘If I don’t go to school it will affect the family. I hope to be the one who gets out of poverty.’

‘I want to help people using the education I get.’

Malala Yousafzai, the 17-year-old education campaigner and Nobel Prize winner, said: ‘One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world. Education is the only solution. Education first.’ Do the students agree? Choose one student to act as chairperson then split the rest of the class into two groups: one ‘for’ the motion and the other ‘against’. Give students time to research and prepare their arguments. If you’re completing this activity in tutor time, run it over two sessions – one for research and preparation; the other for the debate.

1hour

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Hassan and me

Read each of the statements by Hassan and then write a similar statement about yourself. You may find you say exactly the same thing as Hassan!

Hassan says… I say…

I help at home washing pans and doing domestic work like cleaning.

My favourite colour is red.

I prefer going to school because sitting idly is not good.

My favourite lesson is maths.

If I don’t go to school it will affect the family.

My favourite sport is football and my favourite team is Arsenal.

I want to become a doctor to help my people.

My favourite foods are rice, bread, chicken and couscous.

I like where I live because I like the sea and the people around us.

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finding out moreEbola:

1. Schools in Sierra Leone were closed during the Ebola Crisis from July 2014 to April 2015. What school year were you in during this period? What would you have missed out on if you hadn’t been able to go to school?

2. 12,023 children in Sierra Leone lost one or both of their parents to Ebola. How many students are there in your class? How many times that number lost a parent in Sierra Leone? What particular problems will this create in a country where almost half of the population is under 18?

3. The average fatality rate for the Ebola virus is around 50% (that is, 50% of people who contract the virus die). Why were people so scared of the virus?

4. Ebola is spread by direct contact with the blood, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people, and with surfaces and materials (e.g. bedding, clothing) contaminated with these fluids. List five measures that you think could be taken to reduce the risk of spreading the disease from human to human.

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Children’s rights

Adapted from the Child-friendly Version of the Universal Declaration of Human RightsComic Relief, registered charity 326568 (England & Wales) and SC039730 (Scotland). Photo credit: Lucille Flood. RND17_189.

Article 19

Children have the right to be protected from being hurt and mistreated, in body or mind.

Article 28

Children have the right to a good quality education. They should be encouraged to go to school to the highest level they can.

Article 24

Children have the right to the best health care possible.

Article 31

Children have the right to play and rest.

Article 32

Children have the right to protection from work that harms them and is bad for their health and education. If they work, they have the right to be safe and paid fairly.

Article 20

Children have the right to special care and help if they cannot live with their parents.

Article 17

Children have the right to information from TV, radio, newspapers and the internet. These media should provide information that children understand.

Article 37

No one is allowed to punish children in a cruel or harmful way.

Article 27

Children have the right to food, clothing, a safe place to live and to have their basic needs met.

Article 8

Children have the right to an identity – an official record of who you are.