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, KS4, S1, S2, S3 and S4 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 July
There are five assemblies available for use in July.
World Day for International Justice
World Day for International Justice takes place yearly on 17th July. This is the anniversary of the Rome Statue, the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which seeks to protect people from genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression. In this assembly, students reflect on the concept of justice, what it means and what it looks like. They then learn more about the work of the ICC and the challenges it faces.
South Asian Heritage Month
South Asian Heritage Month takes place from 18th July to 17th August and is an opportunity for us to learn about and celebrate South Asian histories, cultures and communities. Whilst the majority of schools will be off on their summer break during these dates, many schools will be celebrating South Asian Heritage Month early and this assembly will help schools who are hoping to celebrate this event with their students. The theme for this year’s South Asian History Month is ‘Roots to Routes’. After reading an account by Safirah Irani of her family’s journey from Pakistan to the UK, your students will have the opportunity to think about why it is important to remember family histories and heritages.
Plastic Free July
Plastic Free July is a global campaign to try and encourage people to reduce their plastic usage to help make our streets, communities, green spaces and oceans cleaner. Plastic Free July asks you to give up one type of single use plastic for July. If everyone agrees to do this, it can have a huge impact on the planet. The theme this year is ‘Small Steps, Big Difference’. Students learn about some important statistics, watch two videos about plastic pollution and think about what they can do to reduce their use of plastics.
International Day of Friendship
International Day of Friendship is celebrated yearly on 30th July. It was established by the United Nations in 2011 with ‘the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities’, (UN) and is an opportunity to recognise the power of friendship and appreciate the friends we have in our lives. In the assembly, students reflect on what friendship means to them, why friendship is important and what healthy friendships look like. They then watch a video which explores how to make friendships that last.
Reflecting on the Academic Year
No academic year is complete without students having an opportunity to reflect on their experiences and achievements over the last year. This assembly provides your students with an opportunity to journal, to reflect on the school year and to consider how they have grown as individuals. There is also an opportunity for students to share their experiences and anecdotes with one another and to explore how their shared experiences might link them as members of one community. Finally, the assembly ends with the opportunity for students to think about what they might like to achieve in the next academic year, and so serves as both a period of reflection and reset before the start of the next school year.
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.
