Lesson plans for ages 9-11 in Geography: Refugees - Who, Where and Why?

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Lebanese refugees and asylum seekers watch the news together in a communal living space, Muhajireen, Damascus.

© UNHCR/J.Wreford, August 2006

LESSON 4: Flight and Asylum

Preparation

Install a large world map at the front of the classroom where all the students can see it. A class set of atlases and of the Activity Sheet: Flight and Asylum are also required.

Procedure

In this lesson, the attention is shifted from a global view to a selected region of the world where there has been population displacement because, armed conflict in their own countries has caused people to flee and seek asylum in other lands.

The questions on the Activity Sheet: Flight and Asylum are general, and can be used for any of one the suggested regions of study. For this lesson, select one of the following regions which have generated refugees and given asylum:

• Horn of Africa
• Caucasus
• Former Yugoslavia
• Afghanistan/Iran/Pakistan
• West Africa
• Great Lakes Region of Africa

(For information about the various regions, see the Resources column of the accompanying Unit Plan).

It is suggested that the Activity Sheet: Flight and Asylum be used as the framework for the lesson. First, show the students on the large world map where the selected region is situated. Next, have the students find a detailed map of the region in their atlases. They should then answer questions 1 and 2 of the Activity Sheet.

Spend some time to describe explain to the students what has been happening in the various countries to cause population displacement e.g. civil war often leads to disruption in the lives of the local farming communities, and so people flee from famine as well as from armed conflict. Emphasise that sometimes a country can both generate refugees and give asylum. Students then complete the Activity Sheet.