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 June
There are four assemblies available for use in June.
World Environment Day
What is World Environment Day and why does it matter?
This assembly encourages young people to reflect on why World Environment Day, which occurs on June 5th, matters and how it is relevant to them. Students learn about this year’s theme ‘Generation Exploration’, and explore some of the ways in which communities, organisations and individuals are working together to restore the environment. They then think about what they can do to be part of ‘Generation Restoration’.
Refugee Week
What is Refugee Week and why is it important? This assembly teaches students about the experiences of refugees and helps them understand why Refugee Week is important. This year Refugee Week runs between 17th-23rd June and the theme is ‘ Our Home’. Students consider the concept of ‘‘home’ before engaging with a story of a young refugee boy and his experiences of being a refugee in the UK. The assembly encourages young people to reflect upon the difficulties faced by refugees and how they can help support refugees as an individual and as part of their wider community.
LGBTQ+ Pride Month
What is Pride Month and why does it matter? This assembly highlights the history and events surrounding Pride Month, which is celebrated in June. Students explore the history behind Pride, including the Stonewall Riots that took place in New York and the origins of the rainbow flag associated with Pride. The assembly focuses on how the LGBTQ+ community celebrates during Pride Month and also looks at three LGBTQ+ icons and their contributions to society.
Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month
What is Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Month (GRTHM) and why does it matter? GRTHM takes place in June and this year's theme is ‘What does family mean to you?’ The assembly explores the history and different identities of the GRT community. It also encourages students to reflect on the importance of educating society about, and celebrating, Gypsy, Roma and Travellers in order to challenge the intolerance and prejudice towards these groups.
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.
