An Effort to Ban Land Mines

Overview

Students get involved in the campaign to ban land mines around the world.

Objectives

Students will learn some of the basic facts about the use of land mines and the destruction they cause.
Students will make posters using these facts to educate their peers about land mines.

Materials

Activity

Introduce key vocabulary: land mine, antipersonnel mine, antitank mine, stockpile, maimed, civilians, prosthetic.
Break the class into pairs or groups of three. Go to http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/banmines/accounts.asp Read some of the “Stories of Courage and Survival” to the class. After each story, briefly discuss the students’ reactions, identify on a map where some of the places mentioned in the story are located, and talk about the consequences of using land mines.
Have the groups view a series of photos on the following website:

http://www.icbl.org/cgi-bin/if/imageFolio.cgi?direct=Exhibitions/Landmines_1997 (click on the image for information). Ask students to identify which photo they find the most interesting and explain why. Again, identify on a map where some of the places listed under the photos are located. Continue to generate ideas why land mines should be banned.
Tell each group that their job is to educate their classmates about land mines by making posters to put up around the classroom or school. Each poster must have three elements:
1. It must have a fact about land mines written legibly on the poster.
2. It must have a prominent title e.g. “Ban land mines,” or “Land mines: Get the facts.”
3. It must have a large, colourful illustration.
Present posters and hang them up around the classroom or school.
optional: submit poster to World's Biggest Hug for Peace

Assessment Rubric

THE TASK	ADVANCED	PROFICIENT	BASIC
Poster Fact	The fact is artfully written and contains no errors.	The fact is written legibly on the poster and contains few errors.	The fact is hard to read and contains errors.
Poster Title	The title is artfully rendered and prominent.	The title is relevant and prominent.	The title is hardly relevant and/or is not prominent.
Poster Illustration	The illustration effectively draws one to the poster, and is relevant, sensitive, and artfully drawn.	The illustration is relevant, sensitive, and well drawn.	The illustration is lacking in relevance, sensitivity, or clarity.

Extensions

Learn more about the International Campaign to Ban Land Mines at http://www.icbl.org/

See these websites for more classroom activities on children and land mines:
Schools Demining Schools: http://www.un.org/Pubs/CyberSchoolBus/banmines/
Safe Lane: http://www.mines.gc.ca/menu-e.asp