LESSON PLANS FOR AGES 9-11 IN HUMAN RIGHTS AND REFUGEES
Purpose
Refugees are people who flee their country because of a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. A refugee either cannot return home, or is afraid to do so.
The countries which generously offer refugees shelter are called countries of asylum. The word ‘refugee’ often conjures up images of immense movements of people fleeing through harsh terrain, carrying their various possessions, or images of sprawling camps where people live very close together under difficult conditions. The vast majority of refugees do seek and find shelter in neighbouring countries, and often live in camps organized by UNHCR and its partners, waiting for the time when conditions in their home countries are safe enough for a return. However, some refugees find themselves in faraway countries outside their own region. These people have been forced to move to a strange land where the language and culture are different to their own. They need to fit in, and begin their new lives.
This unit of lessons stresses the need to foster feelings of confidence in the students, and social tolerance for others. The students are led to recognize that differences between individuals certainly exist, but that the recognition of these differences should not lead to discrimination. Despite racial, ethnic or religious differences, all people, including students and refugees, share a common human heritage. This is in keeping with the first two articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
LESSON 1: SPOT THE REFUGEE
Preparation
Either the teacher can bring in several Lego model people, or ask the students ‘for homework’ to bring in their own Lego people for this lesson.
Run off a class set of the poster entitled Spot the Refugee. Fold each copy of the poster from just below the title so that the writing is hidden.
Procedure
This lesson begins with a brainstorming session. The students are asked what makes a person a refugee. Responses can be written on the blackboard by the teacher. Stress that people flee their country of origin out of a fear of persecution (serious ill treatment) because of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. This part of the lesson need only take a few minutes.
If the children have brought in Lego people for this lesson, request them to arrange their Lego figures on their desks.
Ask the students what similarities all the Lego people share? (Responses could include: all the figures have similarly-shaped yellow heads; the facial features are usually the same, i.e. two black spots for the eyes and a smile; they all have similarly-shaped hands, although pirate figures can have a hook instead of a hand; they all have a body and legs which are also similar in shape, but pirate figures can have a stump instead of a leg!)
Ask how they think the manufacturers make a Lego figure resemble a woman or a girl? (Possible replies could include: select a feminine hairstyle, female clothing, pastel colours, etc).
Pass copies of the poster among the students and ask them to keep the poster folded, and to look closely at the rows of Lego people. Ask the students to suggest an identity for each figure, beginning from the first Lego person in the first row. After several have been identified, ask the students by what means they decided upon each identity? For example, did they look at the clothes, the facial appearance and/or the gender?
The students are informed that the people who designed this poster decided that one of the figures is supposed to be a refugee. Ask the students to spot the refugee, and to describe how they came up with their identification. Do any of their reasons match the descriptions written on the blackboard at the beginning of the lesson?
This is an important lesson in the dangers of stereotyping and prejudice. You may choose not to use those terms with this age group, but they should be brought to understand the harm which can be caused by thoughtless name-calling and attribution of negative characteristics to a whole social group.
Consolidation
Close the lesson by writing the correct definition of a refugee, in simple English, on the board:
Refugees are people who have left their homeland because they fear that they will lose their lives or their freedom if they stay.
Ask the children to copy the definition into their notebooks.
LESSON 2: SPOT THE REFUGEE, continued
Recall Ask the students to explain what a refugee is. Draw out the elements of the definition by questioning around the class.
The students should open the Lego poster fully and read the supplied information quietly by themselves.
Comprehension and discussion questions
Ask the students to write answers to the following questions in their notebooks.
What is the one difference between refugees and you and me? What events do you think could have happened to cause a person to flee and leave everything behind? What types of experience might refugees endure during their flight? How would you feel if you were a refugee who had to leave your home, family and possessions behind and live in another country? Find the term ‘open mind’. What does it mean? Why does UNHCR ask that people keep an open mind and a smile of welcome?
Discuss the answers to these questions around the class. Refer to the concept of discrimination.
At this point, you may wish to use some of the materials in For Teachers, Geography, Ages 9-11, which explain the reasons why people become refugees.
LESSON 3: HOW DOES IT FEEL?
Procedure
If the class is used to working in small groups, give each group one of the following scenarios and ask them to discuss among themselves how they would feel if they were:
a new student who has just joined their class in the middle of the school year a child of their age who has been holidaying with his/her family in another country where the language is foreign, and the child has somehow been separated from the other family members someone who has just heard the bad news that the breadwinner of the family no longer has a job
After a suitable time has elapsed, the students can reassemble as a class group, and are led by the teacher to share the fruits of their group discussions.
LESSON 4: HOW DOES IT FEEL? continued
Introduction
Pass out copies of the UNHCR Lego poster How Does It Feel? Allow the students a few minutes to take in the picture and to read the text.
Comprehension and discussion questions
Use these questions as the basis of a discussion:
Thinking about the three situations we discussed last lesson, what similar feelings might the lonely Lego person have? What similarities and differences are there between the situation of the lonely Lego figure and the three cases we considered last lesson? What do you think the people who designed this poster are trying to suggest through the way the Lego figures have been arranged? Who do you think is the intended audience of this poster? What attitudes towards refugees is UNHCR encouraging people to adopt in this poster?
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