Refugees: Finding a Place

Unit of 3 Lessons
Grade Levels: 
K
1
2
3
4
5
Subjects: 
Language Arts
Philanthropy
Social Studies
Issue Area: 
Fairness
Focus Question 

What factors contribute to people fleeing their home and becoming refugees? How does the plight of refugees affect all global citizens? What is our responsibility to address the issue of refugees? 

Photo Credit:  Darfur refugees Sam Ouandja 36 by hdptcar is licensed under CC by 2.0

Unit Overview 

Children make connections between themselves and refugees. They learn what it means to be a refugee and empathize with refugees who are in various situations. Children develop a personal understanding of what they can do to help.

Service Experience 
Children learn about global and community organizations that help refugees establish new social relationships. The learners will come to a consensus on a plan to provide services to benefit refugees or children in need, and then implement their plan.
Lessons in This Unit 
Unit: 
Refugees: Finding a Place
Lesson 2 of 3
Grades: 
3
4
5

Participants will view a video about a girl named Carly who is a refugee forced to leave her home. They will discuss the problems Carly faces in her journey to find a safe place to live, draw inferences as to why Carly had to flee from her home, discuss in what ways the groups Carly met showed a lack of acceptance, and recall how Carly was treated by the groups she met while searching for safety.

Unit: 
Refugees: Finding a Place
Lesson 3 of 3
Grades: 
K
1
2
3
4
5

The participants will distinguish the difference between wants and needs and learn that many times refugees are without basic needs. They respond to a story about a refugee camp, “Four Feet, Two Sandals” and come to a consensus on a service project to benefit refugees or others in need, and plan and implement a youth-driven service project.