December Assemblies

Facing History Approach to Assemblies 

Assemblies are a critical part of the school day. Regular assemblies provide an opportunity to bring your students together in order to introduce important issues and share your school’s values and priorities. Utilised correctly, assemblies have the potential to build an inclusive and supportive school community.   

At Facing History, our assemblies have been designed to introduce students to significant annual and/or historical events, whilst supporting them to become empathetic and critical thinkers. Each assembly also provides students with opportunities to share their thoughts with each other, helping them to develop oracy and listening skills. The assemblies last for approximately 20 minutes, but can be adapted to suit your specific timing requirements. 

Facing History assemblies do not require specialist knowledge and are suitable for use in a KS3 or KS4 assembly or in tutor time/PSHE. Some assemblies have been adapted from existing Facing History lessons and resources available on our website, while others have been newly created. 

Assemblies in December

There are three assemblies available for use in December. 

World AIDS Day

What is World AIDS Day and why does it matter? Historically, people with HIV have often been stigmatised. This assembly guides KS3 and KS4 students to consider why this stigmatisation exists and if this is something that still exists today. This assembly also guides young people to explore their own current knowledge of HIV and provides factual information about HIV.   

Human Rights Day

What is Human Rights Day and why is it important to protect human rights? This assembly guides KS3 and KS4 students to consider the importance of human rights and will deepen their understanding of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, how it came into existence and some of the human rights covered by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This assembly also looks at human rights in the UK and students will have an opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas about why human rights matter using a case study of the Hillsborough Disaster. 

The Spirit of Christmas

What is Christmas and what are the origins of Christmas? This assembly guides KS3 and KS4 students to consider how Christmas has changed over time and how the Victorian approach to Christmas helped to transform it into the holiday we recognise today. This assembly also focuses on the spirit of Christmas and asks students to consider what this phrase could mean. This is also an idea that is explored through information about ‘The Christmas Truce’ that took place in the trenches in 1914 during the First World War.

Notes for Use

Download the student-facing slides here. While you may need to modify these to meet the needs of your students, please note that Facing History and Ourselves does not endorse any changes that alter the presentation's content or original layout.