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15 short videos to teach gender equality, poverty, and environmental care in the classroom

March 9, 2023

The perfect compilation of short videos to get your classroom’s attention on “ real world problems” to raise awareness on global urgent topics. Even “tough kids” will love them.

With such a wide variety of stimuli, getting our students’ attention in class is a day-to-day challenge. The task gets more interesting when you deal with topics such as gender equality, poverty, environmental care, or others related to the Global Agenda. Here there are 15 videos to mesmerize them and catch their attention and have them talking non-stop while developing critical thinking and perspective taking.

1. A Class That Turned Around Kids’ Assumptions of Gender Roles!

I want you to imagine this: You’re at school. You have been asked to draw a firefighter, a surgeon, and a pilot. Who would you draw? Compare your answers with some students from London and let’s see if we break the gender inequality barrier or if we think the same as they do.

2. Awareness of Street Harassment of women and girls

This video produced and promoted by Plan International UK, a charity that works to root out the gender inequality for girls all over the world through sustainable development and humanitarian response activities in 50 countries across Asia, Africa, and the Americas, highlights the fact that girls are facing verbal and physical harassment in public places every day – Have you students ever gone through this?

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3. Screen time online and stereotypes

By age 13, 80% of girls distort the way they look online (Based on the research results from the U.S. surveying girls who use social media; US n-556 age 10-17.) Social media is a big part of young people’s lives — but retouching apps and the pressure to post the ‘perfect selfie’ are hurting their self-esteem and confidence.

4. Securing women’s right to land and property in Nepal

Imagine you and your husband working hard and buying a land property. However, the only one that can take action towards it’s him or your future son, but not you or your daughter. A clear example on gender inequality that is looking to be eradicated in Nepal.

5. Want a happier marriage? Share the housework equally.

Women working was once a threat to marital stability, however, things appear to be changing.

6. Paul Rudd and Julia Roberts Explore Child Poverty In America

The great America, is it great for everyone? Follow along as Paul Rudd, Ant-man and Julia Roberts – the pretty woman – visit some schools in the United States, where children in need do not have access to healthy meals or good medical care.

7. Earn 1 dollar a day, would you donate half of it?

Emotional video on how giving economic aid does not only help others but gives joy to us. Perfect for young students on the way to understand how we can all support the cause to root out poverty.

8. Does poverty produces crime?

Watch an American man tell the story of their family in Harlem and how poverty made him do certain things he’s not proud of. What’s the most shocking phrase you hear from him?

9. Poverty in a 1st-world country? Does that exist?

In France, 9% of 18-29 years olds have a standard of living below the poverty line, Cleo is one of them, check out her story!

10. Being Jewish makes you automatically financially stable

The founder of Google and Facebook are Jewish. Being part of a specific religious community grants you the possibility to “have money”? Watch this video and ask your students what they think about it.

11. His Epic Message Will Make You Want to Save the World

In this short film, spoken word artist Prince Ea makes a powerful case for protecting the planet and challenges the human race to create a sustainable future. Winner of the Film4Climate competition organized by the Connect4Climate Program of the World Bank.

12. This Kenyan company makes fuel from human poo

Raise awareness on how we can create energy from anything, even human poo! Learn the case of Sanivation, a Kenyan-based sanitation social enterprise

13. How far would you walk to find clean drinking water?

You’re thirsty but you’re told to walk 2km for one bottle of water, would you do it? Check the Water Walk UNICEF brochure to understand the problem better and share it with your 10th, 11th and 12th graders interested in environment care movements.

14. A talk with Mother Nature

Have your students close their eyes and listen to what Mother Nature has to tell. Use this activity as a cool warm-up for students in a environmental-type of lesson.

15. I recycle plastic but use my Toyota 1980 Pickup car every day to go to work, does that make sense?

This is “Greenwashing”. Check out this video to learn more examples of this common practice.

Stay up-to-date on Global Agenda Resources

Stay up-to-date on what is happening in the world and take it to the classroom. Go beyond the common topic curriculum covered in your school area and implement learning experiences to make your students connect with other classrooms around the world to raise awareness on global urgent topics: the well-known Sustainable Development Goals to be achieved by 2030.

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