Introduction
Looking for classroom lessons and activities to teach and learn more about social justice and social change? The Commons Librarians have collected resources for teachers and students about the power of change and being a changemaker. The list includes toolkits, videos and worksheets for primary and secondary students from external and internal resources from the Commons Library.
This list has mainly Australian resources and lists the subjects and/or Australian Curriculum code and year/grade level to each resource if this information was made available. There are also international resources included.
See also the Social Justice Resources for Teachers: Topic Guide with many resources on different topics such as
- Anti-war and Peace Activism
- Climate Justice
- Democracy and Authoritarianism
- Disability Justice
- Children’s Rights
- Diversity and Justice
- Environmental Justice
We are looking for more resources to add and welcome any suggestions.
The Commons Social Change Library is one of the best local online resource libraries on social justice and social change around. I use it regularly in my practise to help locate useful tools to analyse and understand social problems and develop strategies for action. – Human Rights Education Australia
The Power to Make Change
In the Story of Change,Annie Leonard argues that it’s not bad shoppers who are putting our future at risk; it’s bad policies and business practices. Annie takes viewers through an exploration of what effective change making has looked like through history and shares the things you will find whenever people get together and change the world: a big idea, a commitment to working together, and a whole lot of action. She also lets us know that making change takes all kinds of people and ends with a question for viewers: Which are you? See also Challenges to Change Worksheet, Climate Justice in BC: Lessons for Transformation pgs 5-6
Subject(s): Economics – units on issues in economics and economic decision making, Political Science – units on shaping political policy, Social Studies – units on responsible citizenship at the local, national and global level, Environmental Science – units on sustainable use of natural resources
Years: Secondary
Change Starts With Us, Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House
Use the picture book Change starts with us by Sophie Beer to lead student discussion on how to make changes at school and at home. Students then participate in a ‘change maker challenge’ where they use the activity sheet to demonstrate how they can become change makers.
Subject(s): Humanities and Social Sciences, Visual Arts, English, Sustainability (Cross-Curriculum Priority)
Years: K – 2
Creating a better world: Activity sheet, Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House
Students will explore meaningful ideas to create change in their classroom, school or greater community. These books explore real-world stories of young change makers. They inspire others to consider the world around them and look to actively create positive change.
Inspire students to think about the future world they want to see through their window, Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House (Book and Activity Sheet)
Windows explores the perspectives of 5 young people stuck indoors during lockdown, wondering about the world they see through their windows.
Subject(s): Literacy, Humanities and Social Sciences, Visual Arts
Years: K – 6
People Power Politics, Oxfam Australia, Social Education Victoria
The resource has been designed by practising VCE Australian and Global Politics and VCE Global Politics teachers, using real-world case studies from Oxfam’s work in Australia and overseas.
Subject(s): VCE Australian and Global Politics
Practical lessons and resources for teachers from Foundation to Year 10, Volunteering and the Australian Curriculum, Volunteering ACT,Volunteering Australia (300 pgs PDF)
Tailored resource promoting young people’s positive civic involvement, aligned with formal curricula and pedagogy in Australian schools.
Years: K – 10
Advocacy Planning, Peace Education for Youth: A Toolkit for Advocacy and Planning, Global Campaign for Peace Education
The toolkit is organized to help guide you through the process of advocating for and/or developing a peace education effort in your school, university or community. The components of the toolkit are designed to help you think through the different elements of your project – including brainstorming, advocacy, design and implementation.
Years: Secondary
The Four Roles of Social Activism by Bill Moyer (Commons Library Resource)
Activists need to become aware of the roles they and their organizations are playing in the larger social movement. There are four different roles activists and social movements need to play in order to successfully create social change: the citizen, rebel, change agent, and reformer. Includes PDF handout.
How to Make a Difference: 5 Steps to be an Effective Change Maker (Commons Library Resource)
Here is a short guide to support you on your social change journey. Follow 5 steps to have an impact on the issues you care about.
The Power to Take Action
Wangari Maathai – “I will be a hummingbird”, Video
Wangari Maathai tells an inspiring tale of doing the best you can under seemingly interminable odds. Professor Maathai founded The Greenbelt Movement, an organization that works to empower women through environmental conservation in Africa, and educates communities about their political, economic, and environmental opportunities. The Story of the Hummingbird describes Maathai’s motivation around these pursuits, but it is also an allegory for participation and personal empowerment that we can apply to any challenge.
Starting the Change Wave, Imagi-Nation
In this lesson, students will explore how to create change by starting with individual action. By exploring examples of change-making, students see that starting with themselves and an intention born of love can have a huge impact on those around them, and in turn inspire global change. Students will develop a personal action project and monitor the impact of their change wave.
Subject(s): Humanities and Social Sciences, History, Health and Physical Education, Health, Work Studies, Social, Mental Health,Social Action
Years: 9 – 10
Participation and Protest, National Library of Australia – Digital Classroom
How citizens can participate in Australia’s democracy, including use of the electoral system, contact with their elected representatives, use of lobby groups, and direct action (ACHCK062)
Subject(s): Civics and Citizenship
Years: 8
Writing about Protest, Activism, Demonstrations, Northcote Highschool
Library guide on writing about protest for VCE English including books about protest and a collection of protest speech videos (Martin Luther King, Emmeline Pankhurst, Emma Gonzalez, Greta Thunberg and more).
Subject(s): English
Years: 11 – 12
Explore ways to actively participate in democracy, Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House (5pg PDF)
This resource will help students understand and consider the variety of ways to actively participate in our democracy. Through open-ended questioning students will explore protest, petition, voting, writing to your Member and media interviews.
The Mess that we made: How can we take action to make positive change? Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House (3pg PDF)
The mess that we made, written by Michelle Lord and illustrated by Julia Blattman, follows 4 children in a little boat on their journey to discover the impact of pollution and rubbish on our oceans. This activity aims to support students in recognising their capacity to influence environments and make change, and encourages them to do so in effective, informed and responsible ways.
Being an Upstander in Your Community
Students consider the impact of small-scale community initiatives on particular individuals and groups. Students use their critical and creative skills to develop an Upstander activity that supports a group in their community.
Subject(s): Health and Physical Education, Health, Social, Equality, Human Rights, Leadership,Social Action
Years: 9 – 10
Exploring Student Voice, Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House
Use this activity to support students to use their voice in the classroom, school or local community. Create a mindmap of connecting ideas and themes using hexagon thinking strategies.
Making Your Voice Heard, Museum of Contemporary Art
Design a placard to protest an important issue to you, your family or your community and get your voice heard!
Subject(s): Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures, History, Social sciences
Sustainable Changemakers: Lunchbox Citizens, Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House
This resource supports student voice and agency in developing an action-based response to the issue of plastic litter. Students will gain an awareness of the impact we have on the environment and how they can become changemakers.
Subject(s): Using an Inquiry and STEAMD model, students will actively participate in hands-on change maker experiences. This resource is easily adaptable to a range of age groups.
Under Pressure: How Pressure Groups Operate, CND Peace Education (UK)
This is a collection of three lesson plans from CND Peace Education that revolve around the skills of campaigning and exploring the ways in which Pressure Groups function and how they can make a difference. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) is provided as a case study. These lessons can be used individually or as a sequence of lessons in schools, colleges, sixth forms and other settings such as youth clubs.
Subjects: Citizenship, Government and Politics, English, Business Studies, Humanities, History and Geography
Years: 10 – 12
New to Activism, Organising and Campaigning? Start Here! (Commons Library Resource)
A guide to many of the resources in the Commons Social Change Library, organised around different approaches to change such as campaigning, organising, digital action, and more.
Stories and Examples of Changemakers
How to inspire a young activist? A collection of books for kids and teens (Commons Library Resource)
An inspiring collection of stories about activism and social justice for children and teenagers mostly collated by independent bookstore Readings.
Spotlight on Change Agents, Learning for Justice
Students investigate, interview and profile a person working for equity and social change. The person can work on the local, national or international level, with an organization or as an individual. The compiled profiles will form a resource for other students in the future.
Years: 6 – 12
Examples of Student Campaigns and Protests from around the World, Global Nonviolent Action Database
Includes elementary school students as well as older ages of students. There are struggles, for example for regime change, that are initiated by students but grow far beyond that category. This tag enables readers still to find such cases, in which students played a key role.
Passport to Democracy: Taking Action, Victorian Election Commission (Video)
This story follows a group of Victorian secondary students as they take action on issues in their community. The students identify the type of actions which can be undertaken when attempting to solve community based issues.
Years: 7 – 12
Your Issue, Your Voice, Your Say, Victorian Election Commission (Video)
This video explores how a student voice can be heard. The students here are petitioning the Victorian Parliament about animal cruelty.
Years: 7 – 12
Aboriginal Change Makers: Stories of Aboriginal Self-determination and Empowerment
Aboriginal Change Makers is a teaching resource for Victorian schools that presents amazing stories of political and social activity, self-determination, and empowerment, as well as the struggle for recognition in the face of another more dominant and colonising society.
Advocacy Lesson 4, Australian’s Children Television Foundation (Videos)
Learning intention is to investigate actions that promote inclusion in the community. Hannah advocates on behalf of her friend Josh, a transgender boy, for the school’s uniform policy to have a gender-neutral uniform option.
Subject(s): Civics and Citizenship, Health and PE, English
Years: 7-8
Getting Things Done, Series: Discovering Democracy, Documentary on ClickView
The Franklin Dam dispute of the late 1970s and early 1980s provides an excellent case study of ‘getting things done’, politically, both through established institutional frameworks and through direct citizen action.
Subject(s): Rated G, Video – 25:29 mins, 1998, (need login for ClickView)
“When the bombs drop, school stops” – Over 100 years of Australian school strikes and direct action (Commons Library Resource)
Australia has a long history of students walking out of the classroom to demand change. A timeline of Australian school strikes from the 1930s until 2019.
Activism and Campaign History: Start Here (Commons Library Resource)
A guide to several historical case studies that can help students understand the impact of changemakers and collective action.
You can also find resources about inspiring changemakers on websites like Twinkl and TED Ed videos.
- Eddie Koiki Mabo
- Jack Patten
- William Cooper
- Ghandi
- Nelson Mandela
- The Story of the Hummingbird, as told by celebrated Kenyan environmental activist, women’s rights advocate, and 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Professor Wangari Maathai, Video
- Martin Luther King
Starting a Campaign
The Youth Advocacy Toolkit, Unicef UK
This toolkit is for any young person who wants to start their own advocacy campaign. If you are a teacher or a facilitator, you can also use this toolkit with your group to inspire them to work out which children’s rights issues they care about and how to go about creating the change they want to see.
Youth Activist Toolkit, Advocates for Youth
This guide is designed for youth activists that want to organize for change. It contains tips and tools gathered from youth activists working on issues such as reproductive justice, gun violence, climate change, racial inequity, conflict resolution, and so much more. The goal of the Youth Activist Toolkit is to walk you through some basic steps an organizer can take to develop a strategy, build collective power, and use that power to create meaningful, lasting change. It also addresses important topics like practicing self-care or resolving group conflict on your path toward victory.
How to Start a Campaign (Cool.org Resource – requires subscription)
How to Create a Campaign – excerpt from the Climate Resistance Handbook
Elements of a Campaign Handout, 1 pg PDF (Commons Library Resource)
Campaign Planning: How to Get Started (Commons Library Resource)
How to Start a Campaign: Easy Read Guide (Commons Library Resource)
The Power of Telling Your Story
Storytelling for Social Change: A Communications Resource for Young Leaders, World Vision
This handbook will support you in your journey as a young leader by equipping you with basic storytelling skills to create written or visual stories to help create change in your community. Each chapter will lead you through the basics of storytelling, starting with what makes a good story. You will then learn how to create a story using words and photographs and how to share your story with your target audience.
The Power of Story: The Story of Self, Us and Now Worksheet Templates (Commons Library Resource)
Learn all about the power of story and how to tell a story to inspire, make change and motivate action using a framework developed by Harvard Professor Marshall Ganz called “Public Narrative” that revolves around three elements – a Story of Self, Us, and Now.
Digital Storytelling Toolkit for the Climate Movement, 350.org
A toolkit for school strikers and others which covers: How to find your story; Which digital tools to use and how to use them; Basic photo and video editing; and How to strategically share your story once it’s done.
The Story Canvas Template, Digital Storytellers
The Story Canvas is a template and/or online form from the Digital Storytellers which guides you to fill in the right ingredients to make a powerful story.
How to Change the Narrative/Story: Guides, Worksheets and Templates (Commons Library Resource)
Includes a number of worksheets and templates which may suit adaptation for classroom activities.
How to Tell your Story to make the world better, Easy Read Guide (Commons Library Resource)
The Power of Creativity
A Better World is Paintable: How to make banners, stencils, street murals, parachute banners, and more! 350.org
Tools, skills, and resources from 350.org to build capacity to run effective campaigns and movements to tackle the climate crisis.
Education Amplifier, US
The Education Amplifier program provides free artwork, lesson plans and teaching tools that help facilitate non-partisan conversations around social justice in the classroom. Teachers, our 1,000+ free, downloadable artworks and 44-piece lesson plan bank are full of fun, project-based lesson plans designed to encourage active learning and build skills across the curriculum.
Standing Strong, Museum of Contemporary Art
How can you show your strength through just movement? How do you express yourself with your body? Strike a pose to show your strength! Activity focuses on the power of art and protesting with Richard Bell’s art focused on the Black Power Salute at the 1968 Olympic Games.
Subject(s): Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures, History,
Years: Early learning, Primary
Changing the World via Shock and Beauty: Visual Artworks (Commons Library Resource)
Creative Activism: Start Here (Commons Library Resource)
Posters
Exploring Campaigning: Reflect on the information in political campaign posters, Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House
In this activity students analyse a current campaign poster and think about how it works, considering colours, images, slogans and feelings. Students will then use their analysis of posters to make a campaign poster for their school, class elections or an issue they are passionate about.
The Power of Posters to Change the World, Oxfam Australia
The resource – available for both primary and secondary students – invites students to examine the role of the designer in creating social change, as well as the history and techniques of effective poster-making. Read how this resource came about.
Subject(s): Visual Arts, Media Studies and Design, English (persuasive texts),Humanities and Social Sciences (campaigning and political movements)
Films and Documentaries
Film Festival, Do Something, Learning for Justice
Students review films related to a theme in the central text, then plan, prepare for and host a community film festival.
Years: 6 – 12
How to Discuss Movies in Ways that Encourage Critical Thinking About War & Violence, World Beyond War & Campaign Nonviolence Culture Jamming Team
Here are some questions you can use on any movie to encourage anyone to think critically and thoughtfully about narratives of war and peace, violence and nonviolence.
Films and Documentaries about Social Justice, Movements, Victories and Leaders (Commons Library Resource)
These films and documentaries are essential viewing for changemakers and activists. Films are listed from A – Z.
Games
Games for Change
Games for Change curates digital and non-digital games that engage contemporary social issues in a meaningful way. The list contains over 150 games.
The Power of Writing
The Power of the Pen, Amnesty International
Two downloadable lessons for students aged 11+ produced by Amnesty, and the Anne Frank Trust. The Power of the Pen (Primary) and The Power of the Pen (Secondary)
Subject(s): Persuasive writing
Years: 5+
Do Something: Persuasive Letters, Learning for Justice
Students write to a business, school or community leader to call for action in response to a social justice issue from the central text. Alternatively, students can write open, persuasive letters to their peers or family members.
Truth to Power: Writing Letters for Change, Learning for Justice
Students write informed letters to corporate or elected officials, outlining their views on a social issue and calling for specific action.
Years: 6 – 12
Media Kit, Australian Museum of Democracy at Old Parliament House (11 pgs)
This activity takes students through the process of creating a piece of media; they are prompted to research, ask questions, plan, take notes and start creating.
Writing to your MP (Commons Library Resource)
How to Contact Australian Members of Parliament (Commons Library Resource)
Creating Change with Letter Deliveries (Commons Library Resource)
Lobbying Playbook: How to Guides, Stories and Examples (Commons Library Resource)
The Power of Music
The power and purpose of protest, Australians Together
Students listen to and interact with protest songs, considering how the artist’s or songwriter’s careful selection (diction) and placement (syntax) of words encourages sometimes visceral (physical – sensory imagery) as well as cognitive (thought) responses to them. It’s in this way that protest songs are powerful tools to educate and persuade people to express their democratic freedom of opinion and their dissent against injustices they or others face.
Subject(s): English
Years: 5
Sounds of Change, Learning for Justice
This lesson challenges students to analyze and to reflect on messages presented in songs — and to express their own views about important issues addressed in some songs.
Years: 6 – 12
Raising Our Voices: Music resources for 7-11 year olds, Oxfam UK
Inspire and motivate learners to explore the role of music in social change. Focusing on issues of inequality, this resource will enable learners to consider aspects of human rights and equality issues and discover how music has been used to express people’s voices. Think critically about rights, Consider the role of Freedom Songs in the Civil Rights Movement, Investigate how different musicians have used their songs to fight for a fairer and more equal society, Explore how music has been used to demand land rights for indigenous people in Bolivia and Chile and Write a protest song about inequality and perform the song as a class.
Subject(s): Global Citizenship
Years: 2 – 5
Singing Freedom: the role of song in anti-apartheid protest
Listen and Watch to 40 years of Australian Blockading Songs (Commons Library Resource)
The Power of Standing Up for and/or with Others
Writing a Solidarity Statement: Considerations and Process Questions (Commons Library Resource)
3 Allies: A Story about Standing Up, Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility
Students consider what it means to be an ally and to stand up for justice by examining a famous photo of a protest at the 1968 Olympics and then learning about and discussing the story behind the photo. Peter Norman, the Australian athlete in the photo, stood in solidarity with the African-American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos by donning the Olympic Project for Human Rights badge on the podium.
Standing Up for Each Other: Drawing Ally Superheroes, Welcoming Schools, Human Rights Campaign Foundation
This lesson involves exploring the concept of ally behavior with students. Each student will draw a cartoon version of themselves that embodies non-violent superpowers to help others in their school or to solve a problem in the world.
Allyship, Australian Children’s Television Foundation
Learning intention is to identify what it means to be an ally and learn practical strategies for supporting others.
Subject(s): Civics and Citizenship, Health and PE, English
Years: 7, 8
Exploring Solidarity & Mutual Support, Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility
Through small-group activities, students learn about and discuss acts of solidarity and mutual support that can sustain us in difficult times.
The Intertwine Charter: Going beyond anti-discrimination and towards pro-active change to welcome others (Commons Library Resource)
The Power of Self Care and Caring for Others
Staying Resilient While Trying To Save The World (Volume 2): A Wellbeing Workbook For Youth Activists, Amnesty International
Workbook to support youth activists in their journey to strengthen their self-care and make us all recognise the need to look after each other as we stand up for human rights.
Self & Community Care Bundle, Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility
A collection of self-care and community care lessons and guidelines for adults and children. A range of approaches and activities that will support you and your students (or children) in practicing self-care and community care. The guidelines and lessons in this bundle are not intended to be a cure for burnout, but they may help you develop a sustainable self-care practice that works for you – and help your students find their own best strategies. Teaching self-care to students is a natural (and helpful) offshoot of teaching social and emotional skills and competencies in the classroom.
Years: K – 12
Wellbeing and Self Care Resources (Commons Library Resource)
Explore Further
More Classroom Resources
- Social Action Education, Cool Australia
- Human Rights Examples for the Australian Curriculum, Australian Human Rights Commission
- Civic Participation Teaching Resources, Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House
- Scootle: A national repository that provides Australian schools with digital resources aligned to the Australian Curriculum
- Teaching for Change: Building Social Justice Starting in the Classroom
- Learning for Justice Classroom Resources
- Online Training Monster Manual
Commons Library Resources
- From Little Things Big Things Grow: Events That Changed Australia, Commons Library Resource
- Activism and Campaign History: Start Here, Commons Library Resource
- Easy Read Guides for Social Change – Easy Read Guides to learn about the commons library, social change, campaigning, organising, story and stories of campaigns and people.
- What is a Social Movement? Social Movement Definitions, Commons Library
- What does that mean? Dictionaries, Glossaries and Terminology for Civil Resistance, Commons Library
- A History of Teachers Fighting for Social Justice, Australian Education Union
- Stronger and smarter: Using the Social Change Library, Australian Education Union