Why should I focus on International Days?

You might be thinking, why add one more thing to the never-ending to-do list? You already have enough on your plate with meeting curriculum expectations and general classroom admin! Intercultural education expert Beatriz Cerezo makes the case for including a few of these days in your teaching schedule: they are a fantastic tool for promoting intercultural dialogue and understanding between different cultures, key skills for our students to develop for our school environments and the wider world.

Through classroom activities, group projects, and individual assignments, you can touch on issues from equality to environmental rights while encouraging thoughtful dialogue and respectful debate. You might also choose to use a special lesson as an opportunity to practice a specific grammar point or targeted vocabulary. In this blosgpost, we’re looking at some of the most popular international days and sharing ideas and resources you can use to take them to your classroom.

As you develop lessons for International Days, remember to go beyond fun activities and cool crafts, says University of Murcia professor Miguel Angel Santos.  Working with International Days should not be limited to a simple celebration or isolated activities but should be part of a global approach to values education.

International Human Rights Day

International Human Rights Day is celebrated on December 10, a commemorative date established by the United Nations to highlight the importance of human rights worldwide and to remember the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.

Encourage students to reflect on the fundamental rights of all people and raise awareness and action in the promotion, protection, and defense of human rights globally. Some suggested activities are:

• Creating posters and murals: Making posters or murals that promote human rights can help raise awareness in the school community about their importance and protection.
• Theatrical performances: Create theatrical performances or scenes that illustrate situations where human rights are compromised to help students develop their creativity and reflect on the importance of justice and equality in society. Older or more advanced students can write their own scenes.
• English Language focus: review modal verbs for discussing rights (Everyone should have the right to...).

World Monkey Day

Yes, you read that right – there is a day dedicated to the monkey and that day is December 14. The day also focuses on other non-human primates such as apes, tarsiers, and lemurs. This is a more lighthearted topic that you can use to develop a fun lesson plan for your students to work on academic skills.

• Research and presentations: divide students into small groups and assign each a different primate to investigate. Once they have gathered information, students prepare a short presentation for the class.
• English Language focus: provide a vocabulary list related to animals or habitats, and practice using comparative language (Capuchin monkeys are smaller than gorillas, but they are excellent climbers.).

International Women’s Day

On March 8 we recognize and honor the ongoing fight for women to have equal rights and opportunities. In the classroom, you might organize activities and projects that underscore the importance of equality, and the elimination of discrimination against girls:

• Research important role models: ask students to research and create a presentation about a woman who has made a notable contribution to history, science, art, politics, etc., to increase the visibility of women’s contributions across these fields.
• Leadership Workshop: the goal of this activity is to build confidence and self-esteem in girls and give them the tools they need to be strong leaders in the face of stereotypes and prejudices.
• English Language focus: practice the past simple by having students write a short biography or timeline about a famous woman in history.

Earth Day

April 22 is Earth Day around the world. Encourage students to reflect on the importance of caring for the environment and participate in activities related to nature conservation.

• Cleanup Campaign: organize cleanup campaigns around the classroom, school, or community, to pick up trash and recyclables. Generate discussions about the importance of keeping the environment clean and teach them how to properly dispose of residuals.
• Outdoor Field Trip: give your students an opportunity to connect with nature by planning an outdoor field trip. This could be as simple as going to a nearby park or garden. Investigate which plant and animal species live in the area and discuss the importance of biodiversity.
• English Language focus: review the present simple by coming up with some “Earth Day Promises” as a class (We will recycle, we will not leave our trash in the park).

International Day of Peace

One of the most well-known international days among teachers is the International Day of Peace, which is celebrated on September 21. On this day, we are encouraged to reflect on the importance of peace and non-violence. Students can participate in activities designed to develop peaceful conflict resolution:

• Debate: moderated, structured debates teach students to express their ideas clearly and respectfully while providing practice for listening to others without judging or interrupting.
• Role Play: students take on roles in a conflict situation and learn to consider others’ viewpoints, developing skills to resolve issues peacefully through negotiation, consensus-building, and agreements.

World Mental Health Day

October 10 is a relevant date to address in the classroom. Draw students’ attention to the importance of mental health and recognizing mental illnesses. Activities that promote self-esteem, self-acceptance, and self-care can also be carried out:

• Talks on the importance of mental health: invite mental health experts to give talks at the school to raise awareness about the importance of taking care of mental health and preventing mental illnesses.
• Physical exercise: encourage students to participate in physical activities that can improve their mental well-being, such as walks, sports, or fitness training sessions.

International Food Day

International Food Day is celebrated on October 16 to highlight the importance of healthy and sustainable food. It is an occasion to promote the development of healthy and sustainable eating habits and to work together in the fight against hunger and malnutrition in all its forms.

• Healthy cooking workshops: organizing healthy cooking workshops in the classroom where students can learn to prepare healthy and balanced meals is ideal for teamwork and learning about the importance of a balanced diet.
• Food research: researching different foods and their importance in a healthy diet is an ideal way for students to discuss their benefits and risks and foster debate. Older students might be encouraged to research “food deserts” and other barriers people encounter when trying to access nourishing foods.

These are just a few examples of international days you can use for lesson planning and special activities. There are many other important and fun dates, such as International Education Day, The Day of the Carrot, and World Environment Day, among others.

This school year, why not choose one International Day and give it a try as a special lesson? You might be surprised at how engaged and motivated your students become!