"Living democracy" manuals for teachers


The series of six manuals “Living Democracy”

In the past years there has been an ongoing discussion in the Council of Europe about how civil society could be strengthened and supported in formal and non-formal education. This approach has become known as Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education (EDC/HRE). The series of six manuals presented here is part of this approach and is meant to help teachers and school directors to introduce citizenship and human rights in schools at all levels of schooling in a fun and interactive way.

Educating for Democracy (2011)

The objective of this manual is to support teachers and practitioners in Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education (EDC/HRE). It addresses key questions about EDC and HRE, including competences for democratic citizenship, the objectives and basic principles of EDC/HRE, 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 EDC/HRE 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 in EDC/HRE.

Growing Up In Democracy (2010)

Growing up in democracy is addressed to teachers who want to integrate Education for Democratic Citizenship (EDC) and Human Rights Education (HRE) 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 EDC/HRE is to teach children to become active citizens who are willing and able to participate in the democratic community. Therefore, EDC/HRE 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 EDC/HRE are taught as tools of life-long learning.

Living in Democracy (2008)

This is a manual for teachers in Education for Democratic Citizenship (EDC) and Human Rights Education (HRE), EDC/HRE textbook editors and curriculum developers. Nine teaching units of approximately four lessons each focus on key concepts of EDC/HRE. 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 EDC/HRE. 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.

The objective of EDC/HRE is the active citizen who is willing and able to participate in the democratic community. Therefore EDC/HRE 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 of EDC/HRE are taught as tools of life-long learning.

Also available to download in Albanian, 
French, Georgian, Montenegrin, Russian, Turkish and Ukrainian.

Taking Part in Democracy (2010)

This is a manual for teachers in Education for Democratic Citizenship (EDC) and Human Rights Education (HRE), EDC/HRE textbook editors and curriculum developers. Nine teaching units of approximately four lessons each focus on key concepts of EDC/HRE. 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 EDC/HRE. 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.

Exploring Children’s Rights (2007)

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.

Also available to download in French, Turkish, Azeri, Russian, Macedonian and Albanian.

Teaching Democracy (2009)

This teachers' manual contains a collection of exercises and models for Education for Democratic Citizenship (EDC) and Human Rights Education (HRE) 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 of EDC/IIRE that runs through every part of this book: in EDC/HRE, the method carries the message. This manual offers the users the chance to select and to try out different traditions and approaches to Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education.

Also available to download in French and Turkish.