Comparing

Let’s compare two apples

What are the similarities?

What are the differences?

Let’s compare the ability of different people in the group to do the same thing. Choose from:

Bounce a ball the most times in 30 seconds

Think of the most names beginning with P in 20 seconds

Balance on one leg for up to a minute…

Or an idea of your own…

Keep your scores

Who did best?

Who did OK?

Who might need some help to improve?

Look at this world map. Can you name (and find) some of the countries where people are rich? (Where people have good health, education and good jobs so they can buy nice things for themselves and their families)

Talk to a partner: Who is it who makes sure that all of the children in all of

these countries are healthy, happy and safe?

“Sometimes people don’t think about whether these children have all of the things they need, as they live in rich countries. But some of the children in these countries do not get all of their rights”

Does anyone recognise this logo?

Do you know what Unicef does?

What does the picture suggest?

Unicef is one of the UN organisations that works with and looks after children all over the world.

It is their job to promote and protect children’s rights

They find out what life is like for children and tell other people what they find

In 2007, UNICEF asked children in different ‘rich’ countries the same questions, and compared their

answers.

Working with a partner, or in a small group, think of 5 of the questions UNICEF might have asked to find out about the quality of children’s lives, to help find out if they were happy, health and safe

Some of the things you might want to ask about to encourage young people to tell you what makes

them feel happy, healthy and safe.

Education, school and the things you need to study at

home

Health

Family life

Friends

Being safe or unsafe, bullying,

dangerous activities

Here are some of the questions UNICEF did ask:

Does your family own a car, van or truck?

Have you your own bedroom for yourself?

During the past 12 months, how many times did you travel away on holiday with your family?

How many books does your family own?

Do you have a computer to do your schoolwork?

How often do you eat a meal with your family around the table?

Can you talk to your carers or parents about problems that you have?

Think about how you might have answered some of these questions.

You don’t have to share your answers with anyone

Remember at the beginning, when we compared apples, and compared people’s ability to do the same thing?

UNICEF used all of the data from the children in the developed countries, and compared them.

Some countries had better scores for some questions, and others did well at other things.

Can you predict which countries are a good place to be a child, based on the kind of

questions that were asked?

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10

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Where do you think the UK is on this list?

The Netherlands

United Kingdom

What might we need to improve in this country, to help children under 18 to have access to their

rights?

Young people in the UK answered some questions where their country had the highest score of all.

They included:

• Have you been drunk two or more times at the age of 11, 13 or 15?

• Have you been involved in fighting or being bullied?

Children’s lives and rights don’t always depend on how much money a family has.

This section of the CBBC Newsround site is about child poverty, not in developing countries, but here in the UK.