Literacy

Engage students in literacy across the curriculum as they discover the power of writing letters for people whose rights and lives are at risk.

Every year thousands of people write letters to halt human rights abuse, holding governments to account and protecting lives with the support of Amnesty. Writing letters on behalf of people whose rights are at risk is a way for young people to explore urgent global issues as they build skills in literacy, self-expression and persuasive writing.  

Through the Power of the Pen pack students will discover the impact their words can have as they write letters in support of real people in real danger now. News on these cases will be kept up to date on this website.

Fill in your details to download the Power Of The Pen pack

This resource has been developed by literacy specialists to support literacy outcomes and is directly mapped to UK national curricula (pdf). The pack includes two lessons and accompanying PowerPoint, activity sheets, case studies, film clip and curricular links. It can be taught as two one-hour lessons or one lesson with homework.

This pack is for KS3 English, Citizenship, Geography, Religious Studies/RMPS and Humanities teachers, Literacy Coordinators, and all teachers seeking to build literacy across the curriculum and support whole school SMSC.

Amnesty thank the following teachers and students for their help in developing this resource:  Ciara McGuane and the students of Sarah Bonnell School, London; Charlotte Rashford and the students of Bentley Wood School, Harrow; Phil Jenkins and the students of Llanrhidian Primary School, Gower, Wales; Jeanette Mackay and the students of Bannockburn High School, Stirling, Scotland; Deborah McKibben and the students of Larkhall Academy, S. Lanarkshire, Scotland; and all participants on the Amnesty Teacher CPD Programme 2012-13.