Deep dive into our Themes

• Mens & Maatschappij
• Middelbare school
• vmbo, mavo, havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 2,3

DEEP DIVE into our THEMES

Welcome to this digital class about the Changemaker's themes. This is an in-depth session following the kick-off. Enjoy!

Who, what, where?

Alright, let's take a step back first. Who are we again, and what are we doing here? We are Team Changemakers from the United World College. You are participating in a social service program with us for a couple of weeks. During these weeks, we reflect on who you are, what matters to you and how you can use your skills, knowlegde and character to make the world an even more beautiful place. 

We challenge you to become a 'changemaker', too: someone who actively brings about change in our society. 

Where were we?

Before we dive into our themes, let's recap what stuck with you from the kick-off workshops. What have you learned since the start of the program? Type out everything that comes to mind.

What did you learn during the kick-off?

Op een schaal van 0 tot 100, hoe veel moet er veranderen in de wereld?

0100

Zou jij daarbij willen helpen?

Ja, natuurlijk! Weet je wel wat er allemaal speelt?!

Ja, maar ik vind het wel lastig om te bedenken hoe...

Ja, maar dat kan alleen als anderen ook mee doen.

Nee, de wereld is helemaal goed zoals hij is.

Nee, ik kan of wil hier niets in veranderen.

THE FIVE THEMES

During the kick-off workshops, we introduced the five Changemakers themes. Let's dive a bit deeper into them. 

The themes for change

During the kick-off, we discussed various problems and challenges in the world. We identified five themes: 

(mental) health, poverty, violence, gender equality & discrimination, and climate. 

In this digital class, you'll zoom in on these themes and contemplate what changes you would really like to see. The entire lesson takes about one class hour. At the end of the lesson, there's a creative assignment that you can complete either in a double period, or at home.

Examples of the themes

In the next slides, you will see a video for each theme featuring a young Changemaker who want to draw attention to a specific issue. 

All these Changemakers started small, driven by a strong sense of justice. They found something to be unfair, and decided to make a change.

Watch the videos again and let yourself be inspired. Which of the five themes do you see recurring in each video?

Little in-between test

Let's see how well you've paid attention! On the next slide, you'll find the five themes and the name of the five Changemakers. There are also five images, each of them matches one of the themes. 

Drag the names and images to the correct theme.

armoede

gendergelijkheid & discriminatie

geweld

(mentale) gezondheid

klimaat

Frederique

Zakarriyya

Lilly

Sadat

Melvin

Overlap in themes

Many themes overlap. For example:

• Beaten because of homosexuality: violence, discrimination and (mental) health.
  
• Large scale dumping of clothing in countries like Ghana: nature, poverty, and health.
• Digital addiction and online bullying: health, voilence, discrimination.
• Natural disasters involving oil (often caused by large companies) such as in the Niger Delta: nature, poverty, health. 
  

What problems can you think of that touch on more than one theme?

CHOOSE YOUR THEME

You are now going to choose a theme and develop it further. This will help you better understand the themes, as well as give you inspiration for your Changemakers action.

Let's get started!

Choose your theme

You are now going to choose a theme to work on in this lesson. Which theme resonates with you the most?

Questions that might help you choose: what makes you really angry? What do you hope will have improved (at least a little) by the time you retire? What news stories give you a knot in the stomach, or bring tears to your eyes? Also, check your workbook: what was the result of the quiz?

Which theme do you choose?

Remember that we need people for all kinds of themes and challenges. Focus on what you think is important, not on what you think you should find important! 

Choose one theme that you will work on for the rest of this class. Click your main theme on the next slide. 

Ik kies het thema:

klimaat/natuur

armoede

gender-gelijkheid en discriminatie

geweld

(mentale) gezondheid

Let's take it one step further

We're going a step further. The five themes are quite broad. Within each theme, there are so many topics to consider. For example: 

• nature, climate: deforestation, plastic pollution. species extinction, overfishing, desertification, fossil fuels.
  
• (mental) health: depression, loneliness, suicide, eating disorders, addictions, PTSS, bullying, dementia.
  
• poverty: homelessness, income inequality, child labor, debts, unemployment, food insecurity.
  

continue reading on the next page

• violence: sexual violence, domestic violence, (youth) gangs, human trafficking, weapon use, cyberbullying, child abuse. 
  

• gender equality & discrimination: racism, inequality between men and women, underrepresentation in politics, wage disparities, differential treatment based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

On the next slide, fill in which specific topic resonates with you.

Which specific topic within the theme you've chosen do you find especially important?

Who do you want to help or reach?

There is probably a specific group of people that resonates with you most. Some people, for instance, want to make a difference by tackling loneliness among young people, while others focus on combating loneliness among the elderly. For whom/what do you want to become a Changemaker?

Examples of groups of people: children, teenagers, adults, the elderly, refugees, LGBTQIA+ community, students, people with a specific illness, but also: panda's and polar bears, oceans and rainforests.

For which group of people, related to your topic, do you want to make a change?

Finally: where do you want change?

Where do you want to make a change? Globally, in the Netherlands, in your own class? Remember: bigger isn't always better. Initiating change often starts with a small step. Some Changemakers enjoy working on a global scale, while others focus on their immediate surroundings. It's up to you!

On the next slide, fill in what will be your Changemakers playground. 

In welke omgeving of schaal wil jij een verandering veroorzaken?

Your theme

As you can see, the themes mean different things to different people. In a few simple steps, you've explored what you want to stand up for. The more important something is to you, the more sense it makes for you to become a Changemaker on that subject!

In your workbook, write down which theme, topic, group of people and location you have chosen. Did any ideas for a great Changemakers action already pop up? Write them down. There are enough pages to make notes and jot down your brilliant, wild plans!

YOUR IDEAL WORLD

Imagine you had the power to decide. How would the ideal world look, keeping in mind the theme you've chosen? What would be different if you were in charge of the world?

Geef een omschrijving of een beeld (in vijf foto's) van hoe jouw ideale wereld eruit ziet, met betrekking tot het thema wat je hebt uitgewerkt.

Which steps are needed to bring the ideal world closer?

Wow, what beautiful worlds!

Grab your workbook and briefly write down what your ideal world looks like. When you want to make a change, it's important to know where you want to go!

Then, think about how you can take small actions in your daily life to contribute to positive change on this theme. Write down these actions beneath your ideal world. 

Create your ideal world together!

Find one ally. Who will you inspire to also make a change? One of your parents, your sibling, a classmate or a friend?

Challenge that person to also find one person to join. This way, you create a significant ripple effect together!

Assignment: let's get creative!

Assignment: showcase your ideal world in a creative way. 
How you do it is up to you: with a drawing or illustration, a painting, artwork, poem, spoken word, rap, song, sculpture, fashion design, podcast, video, story, collage, photo series - the possibilities are endless. Choose a method you enjoy and that aligns with your identiry. Incorporate your positivity and fantastic ideas into your ideal world. Then, share it with the class to inspire each other!

You can complete this assigment as homework or during a 

double class period. Ask your teacher about the submission 

deadline and other instructions. 

NICE JOB!

We have come to the end of this lesson. You've truly delved into your theme and are another step closer to becoming a Changemaker. Well done! Until next time,

Team Changemakers.

Hoe vond je deze les?

😒🙁😐🙂😃