UNHCR - Unit plan for ages 9-11 in History: Refugees in History

The Geneva Refugee Convention was adopted on 28 July 1951 and opened for signature. © UNHCR/UN Archives/ARNI

Teaching About Refugees

Unit plan for ages 9-11 in History: Refugees in History

UNIT OBJECTIVES

Knowledge

To understand that the causes of migration are many and varied.
To understand migrants.
To understand refugees.
To understand the concept of asylum.
To demonstrate to the students that there have been refugees throughout history: where there is persecution, there will be refugees.
To learn in more detail about a historical group who fled their country for safety; such people were refugees.
To locate contemporary conflicts and refugees on a world map.

Skills

To practise sensitive enquiry and reasoning skills.
To practise research skills:
a) defining a problem
b) seeking appropriate information sources
c) identifying relevant information from the sources
d) organising the information to answer particular questions
e) clear written expression
To be able to articulate contrasting feelings.

Values

To encourage empathy by developing a feeling of relationship with a possible refugee in one's family tree.
To foster a sense of solidarity and responsibility towards refugees.

Five hundred Lebanese refugees and asylum seekers sheltering in the Al-Shariya high school in southern Damascus in 2006. © UNHCR/A.Rehrl

LESSON 1: Why do people move to another country?

CONTENT	TEACHING METHODS/LEARNING STRATEGIES
This lesson can be linked to lesson 2 of the Geography Unit. Causes of migration Simple presentation of pull and push factors - limit this to: Search for a better life (migrants) Escape from persecution human rights violation and /or war (refugees) Family trees What is a family tree? Children's own family trees, including ancestors who came from other countries. Why did they come to this country?	Introduction: Teacher questions to the class: What does migration mean? (Expect answers on birds, animals, people). Why do people migrate? What might push people to leave their country? What might pull people to a particular country? Teacher presents definition of refugee. Development: Children trace their family trees, filling in the Activity Sheet: My family tree. If and when they come to an ancestor who came from another country, they can try to find out why that ancestor left his/her homeland. If they cannot find out the reason, with the help of the teacher or parents, suggest a reason why they ancestor may have left. Homework: Finish the tree as far back as possible with the aid of parents and older relatives.
RESOURCES
Suggested reading for the teacher: Jill Rutter, Refugees: We Left Because We Had To (London, Refugee Council, 1996), p. 9-11 Activity Sheet: My family tree

Early refugees: Some of the first people helped by UNHCR being processed by Germany in 1953 for resettlement in other countries. © UNHCR/IRO

LESSONS 2 and 3: What do you see in your mind?

CONTENT	TEACHING METHODS/LEARNING STRATEGIES
Family tree information. Revision of definition of refugees. There have been refugees throughout history: where there is persecution, armed conflict, people flee to save their lives. Causes of flight: Prejudice (based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership of a particular social group) -> Discrimination -> Persecution -> Flight War -> Flight A library research assignment on one of the following refugee groups: the Huguenots (16th c.) the Pilgrim Fathers (17th c.) Eastern European Jews (19th c.) World War II refugees in Europe or Asia Palestinians (since 1948) Indochinese (since 1975)	Link to previous lesson: Teacher questions to the class: Who among the students has an ancestor who came from another country? Did the ancestor leave his/her homeland in search of a more prosperous life, or because there was danger in the homeland? Introduction: Discussion questions about the causes of flight. Both teacher and students should cite examples from history. Development: Time spent in library on guided research on the selected topic (see accompanying Assignment Sheet).
RESOURCES
School library resources such as encyclopaedias and history reference books. Activity Sheet: Refugees in History

A destroyed house in Svinjare/Frasier, a mixed village in Kosovo. The March 2004 riots underline the fragile nature of inter-ethnic relations in the restive region. © UNHCR/T.Buckenmeyer

LESSON 4: Blackboard summary of reasons for flight

CONTENT	TEACHING METHODS/LEARNING STRATEGIES
As for previous lesson	Verbal review of results of library research. Questioning individuals, the teacher should build up a blackboard summary of reasons for flight in history.
RESOURCES
Pupils' completed assignment sheets.

The search for asylum is often complicated by the movement of millions of economic migrants. A Nigerian awaits his fate at Zurich airport. © UNHCR/A.Hollman

LESSON 5: Asylum

CONTENT	TEACHING METHODS/LEARNING STRATEGIES
This lesson can be linked to lesson 1 of the Geography Unit. The present day: Where do refugees come from? Where do they flee to? Countries of asylum: Definition Is our country a country of asylum? What asylum can mean to a refugee (safety, security, basic needs met)	Introduction: Using a world map and through questions about current world events, children are shown the locations of some armed conflict, refugee flows and refugee populations. Development: Questions designed to encourage empathy, e.g. How would you feel if...? What would you do if...?
RESOURCES
UNHCR, The State of the World's Refugees 1995: In Search of Solutions, (Oxford, OUP, 1995), p. 12-13.

Unit plan for ages 9-11 in Geography: Refugees - who, where and why?
This module of lessons teaches the concepts of migration, emigration, immigration, refugee and asylum.

Unit plan for ages 9-11 in Civic Education: Refugee children
Students are introduced to the idea that people's basic needs are considered rights. They learn about the abnormal and trying conditions in which refugee children live and endure.

Unit plan for ages 9-11 in Human rights: Human rights and refugees
Find out more about how the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) underlines the strong connection between human rights and the work of UNHCR.

1951 Refugee Convention: Questions & Answers
The most frequently asked questions about this key treaty. [PDF, 1.6Mb]

Estimated Number of Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Other of Concern to UNHCR, 1st Jan 2007
Asia	14,910,900
Africa	9,752,600
Europe	3,426,700
Latin America & Caribbean	3,542,500
Northern America	1,143,100
Oceania	85,700
TOTAL	32,861,500

Protecting Refugees – Questions & Answers
Answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about refugees themselves and how the agency attempts to help them. [PDF, 3Mb]

Gallery of Prominent Refugees
Featuring refugees or former refugees who have achieved special status within a community because of their achievements, or because they have overcome hardship to build a new life.

Pictorial history of UNHCR
More than 50 turbulent years in pictures – UNHCR's role in refugee crises and the struggle for survival of one of the world's most vulnerable groups.

Refugees: Telling Their Stories
A publication of the winners & finalists of UNHCR's High School Writing Competition.[PDF, 1.21Mb]

UNHCR Web Videos:

Somali Refugees in Kenya
The flow of refugees from Somalia has reached more than 1,000 per day and UNHCR is trying to cope under difficult circumstances. (2:34)

Anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution
October 23 marks the anniversary of the Hungarian uprising against Soviet rule. It was also UNHCR's first refugee crisis. (3:34)
More in Refugees Magazine Issue N° 144: Where Are They Now? The Hungarian Refugees, 50 Years On (published October 2006) here. See also photo galleries

Nepal: A life in limbo
An offer by the United States to resettle up to 60,000 refugees from Bhutan has given those living in Nepal some hope for a brighter future. (4:09)

Friends in need
During the war, the Christian town of Rmeish in southern Lebanon gave refuge to thousands of their Muslim neighbours. UNHCR is trying to help families like the Thinis who have no home and no way to support their large family. (2:59)

Syria solidarity
The response of the Syrian population in the Lebanese crisis has been enormous. However UNHCR has concerns that local support systems are becoming overburdened. (2:28)

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