Students gain insight into what it means to be a refugee and the difficulties refugees face to survive. Students explore the role of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and produce a symposium on the work of UNHCR in a virtual online presentation or as a traditional presentation.
Use this opening activity to help students understand, on a personal level, what it means to be a refugee. They discuss the benefits of home and family and explore the feelings experienced by refugees who have lost everything.
In this two-part lesson, students view a film and read about the work of UNHCR with refugees. They complete a worksheet about protection of and support for refugees and then discuss the topics in a fishbowl-style discussion group.
Students share what they have learned about refugees and how to help them in a symposium format. Each small group selects a different subtopic related to refugees. They create and present a paper or speech for an event or website. They invite an audience and raise awareness about refugees and encourage people to take action. Optional: students and symposium participants may plan a service project as a result of the discussion.