Lesson Objective: This lesson plan is designed to provide students with a thorough understanding of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), its structure, functions, and pivotal role in shaping global affairs. By the end of this lesson, students will:
- Comprehend the UNGA’s position as the most representative body within the United Nations system, housing all 193 member states.
- Analyze the UNGA’s multifaceted responsibilities, including its role in international peace-building, security maintenance, and sustainable development promotion.
- Explore the UNGA’s decision-making processes and the principle of sovereign equality among member states.
- Examine the theme of the 79th General Assembly session, “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all,” and its relevance to current global challenges.
- Evaluate the UNGA’s historical impact through landmark resolutions and declarations, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Sustainable Development Goals.
- Develop critical thinking skills by applying UNGA principles to real-world scenarios and local contexts.
- Enhance their global citizenship awareness by understanding how the UNGA’s decisions influence international policies and everyday lives.
Standards Addressed:
C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards:
- D2.Civ.6.9-12: Analyze the impact of constitutions, laws, treaties, and international agreements on the maintenance of national and international order.
- D2.Civ.14.9-12: Analyze the role of governments, international organizations, and their power in shaping global policy.
- D2.Geo.11.9-12: Evaluate how changing transportation and communication technology influence the spread of ideas and global interaction.
- D4.1.9-12: Construct compelling arguments using precise and knowledgeable claims, with evidence from multiple sources, to assess global issues.
Lesson Activities:
Introduction:
- Start with an engaging question: “What do you know about the United Nations and its General Assembly?”
- Write student responses on the board and explain how the UNGA represents global cooperation and decision-making, consisting of all 193 member states.
Main Content:
1. Overview of the UN General Assembly:
- Explain that the UNGA is the primary deliberative body where global discussions on critical issues occur.
- Highlight its importance as the most representative organ within the United Nations system, emphasizing its role as a forum for all member states to have an equal voice.
2. Role and Functions:
- Discuss the UNGA’s roles in making recommendations on issues such as peace, security, human rights, and development.
- Explain its responsibilities in electing UN bodies, appointing the Secretary-General, and coordinating global priorities through resolutions.
3. Membership and Leadership:
- Introduce the composition of the General Assembly, explaining that each member state has one vote regardless of size or wealth.
- Describe the annual election of the Assembly President and how leadership rotates to reflect different regions and priorities.
4. Focus on the 79th General Assembly Session:
- Introduce the theme of the session: “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals.”
- Discuss how this theme connects to current global challenges like climate change, economic recovery, and public health.
5. Historical Impact of the UNGA:
- Explore significant resolutions and declarations, such as:
- The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
- The “Uniting for Peace” Resolution (1950)
- The Millennium Declaration and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Activity:
- Group Work: Divide students into small groups, assigning each a specific Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) related to the 79th session’s theme.
- Task: Each group brainstorms ways the UNGA can address their assigned SDG and present their ideas to the class, considering real-world implications and possible global solutions.
Conclusion:
- Summarize the UNGA’s role as a global decision-making body and its ongoing relevance in addressing issues such as peace, security, and development.
- Reinforce how the 79th session’s theme, emphasizing trust, solidarity, and sustainable action, mirrors the UN’s mission in addressing global priorities.
Homework:
- Ask students to write a reflective essay on the importance of the UN General Assembly for global cooperation. They should also explore how the theme of the 79th session might influence global actions toward sustainable development.
Extension Activities:
- Debate: Hold a classroom debate on the effectiveness of the UNGA in solving global problems.
- Research Project: Assign students to research a major UNGA resolution and evaluate its impact on global policies and local contexts.
Useful links
-
- When discussing the structure and functions of the UNGA, use the official UN website’s interactive page:
https://www.un.org/en/ga/ - For exploring the Sustainable Development Goals, the UN provides an interactive website:
https://sdgs.un.org/goals - To help students understand global voting patterns in the UNGA, you could use this interactive voting dashboard:
https://digitallibrary.un.org/search?ln=en&cc=Voting+Data - For the group activity on SDGs, students could use the UN’s SDG Action Manager to brainstorm ideas:
https://www.unglobalcompact.org/take-action/sdg-action-manager - To explore historical UNGA resolutions, students could use the UN Digital Library:
https://digitallibrary.un.org/ - For the homework assignment, students could use the UN News site to find current events related to the UNGA:
https://news.un.org/en/tags/general-assembly
- When discussing the structure and functions of the UNGA, use the official UN website’s interactive page: