What should you do when a stranger appears at your door asking for help? That situation is playing out across dozens of countries around the world this year as war, crime and other threats push record numbers of migrants to seek new homes. Some 60 million people were on the move as 2015 began, as people sought new homelands from the Americas to Europe, Africa and Asia.
In this lesson we help students explore the global migration crisis, first through maps and photographs, then with a class reading and discussion, and next by way of a research assignment. In the Going Further section, we suggest ideas for holding a congressional hearing, drawing historical connections and more.
- How much responsibility should individual people or nations take for welcoming migrants from other countries?
- Why do some people or nations view migrants as a threat, while others view them as a boon?
Warm Up | Last year the world experienced the highest levels of global forced displacement ever recorded, and this year the crisis seems even more extreme. Where are all these people coming from? And where are they going?
Ask students to show what they already think they know by having them sketch arrows on a blank world map (PDF) illustrating where the largest groups of migrants are on the move from country to country and region to region. Then, have them compare their sketches with this National Geographic map. What did they illustrate accurately? What surprised them?
Next, present students with a slide show illustrating the flow of migrants from Syria and other countries to Germany. As they look through the photographs, have students jot down details they observe. Then discuss: What do they notice? What questions do the photos raise for them? (One resource for some of their questions before you begin the full lesson might be this Times Q & A, “The Migrant Crisis in Europe: Readers’ Questions Answered.” Update, Oct. 19 | Another useful general resource: This “comic infographic” called “Searching for Safety” created by our colleagues at KQED Education.)
Whole Class Reading | Photographs and maps provide a snapshot of the migration crisis around the world, but having students read one story together can help the class envision what this crisis means for one family and its host community. Perhaps you want to read the first few paragraphs aloud as a class before directing students to read silently and answer the questions below.
In the article, “Syrian Refugees Are Among the Few to Start Life in the U.S.,” Hussam Al Roustom, a refugee, recalled the moment in 2011 when the civil war in his country prompted him to leave with his family.
The supermarket he owned was ransacked and one of his two homes was destroyed. His son, Wesam, who has autism and was frightened by the shelling, stopped speaking.
In March 2013, Mr. Al Roustom paid a smuggler to take him and his family through the desert, leaving them to hike over a mountain into Jordan. The police then took the family to the Zaatari refugee camp, where he registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
The article continues with Mr. Al Roustom’s story:
“I tell people not to be scared and to have patience and to work hard,” he said. “And perhaps rely on the support you’re given, but not to overuse it and abuse it.”
While reading the article, students can answer the following questions.
Reading Comprehension Questions
- What changes did President Obama decide to make regarding refugees in the coming year?
- What sorts of organizations handle the resettlement of refugees or migrants in the United States?
- What kinds of services do these organizations and the government provide refugees?
- What is the migration story of Hussam Al Roustom and his family?
- How is the migration story of Mohamed Darbi and his family both similar and different?
Then, ask students to share the aspects that surprised them or gave them new information on the subject of migrants. You may also want to discuss one or more of the Key Questions we listed at the top of this lesson.
Ask students to delve deeper into the global migration crisis by doing their own research. They might want to start with one our suggested Key Questions, or use the Think/Puzzle/Explore process (PDF) to help them figure out what they want to investigate further.
The resources below provide different perspectives and stories from around the world. If you decide to have students work in pairs or small groups, you can use the category and region labels as a way to divide or guide students.
Depending on your teaching goals, you might ask students to choose one or more articles from the list below, or to do more intense research both in The Times and elsewhere, before writing up what they learned and presenting to the class.
Providing Assistance to Migrants
Resistance to Migrants
Stories of Migrants
Migration Policy and Patterns
Hold a Congressional Hearing
Hold a simulated Congressional hearing on the subject of opening America’s doors to global refugees. You can assign students to one of three groups: opponents of allowing more refugees into the United States, supporters of allowing more refugees into the United States and Congress members. Students assigned to the first two groups can prepare statements to be read at the hearing, while the third group can prepare questions to ask the speakers.
At the hearing, students can present some or all of their arguments while the members of Congress ask questions. Finally, after the hearing, the members of Congress can prepare statements explaining how they will vote on the issue based on the testimony provided by both sides.
Organize a Model United Nations
Students can represent different countries in a session on how responsibility should be shared for the global migration crisis. Using Times reporting, they can learn where countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom, Turkey, China and the United States stand on the issue and then craft a detailed speech representing their position on the subject. In the session, students might then vote on how many migrants countries should take in, or what financial responsibility nations should shoulder to address the global migration crisis.
Use History as a Guide
Europe faces its worst refugee crisis since World War II, and many observers see echoes of the past in how the Continent is treating thousands of migrants. In “Treatment of Migrants Evokes Memories of Europe’s Darkest Hour,” Rick Lyman writes:
BUDAPEST — In Hungary, hundreds of migrants surrounded by armed police officers were tricked into boarding a train with promises of freedom, only to be taken to a “reception” camp. In the Czech Republic, the police hustled more than 200 migrants off a train and wrote identification numbers on their hands with indelible markers, stopping only when someone pointed out that this was more than a little like the tattoos the Nazis put on concentration camp inmates.
Razor-wire fences rise along national borders in Greece, Bulgaria, Hungary and France. Many political leaders stoke rising nationalism by portraying the migrants as dangerous outsiders whose foreign cultures and Muslim religion could overwhelm cherished traditional ways.
Read the entire article, then discuss: What lessons from history, particularly World War II and the Holocaust, should Europe and the world use to guide how migrants are treated today?
Pay Attention to Language
With so many millions of people around the world fleeing from war, persecution and poverty, the language we use to describe the crisis might seem trivial. But word choice is important, and the words we use not only communicate values and attitudes, but they also have the power to influence government policy and people’s lives.
Take the terms “migrant” and “refugee.” We often uses these words interchangeably, but there is a critical legal distinction between the two words. The Times writes:
Briefly, a refugee is person who has fled his or her country to escape war or persecution, and can prove it.
The 1951 Refugee Convention, negotiated after World War II, defines a refugee as a person who, “owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country.”
By international law, governments cannot send refugees back home to where their lives would be in danger. Migrants, however, are not offered the same protections.
Follow current events for a week by reading your local newspaper, watching TV news coverage, listening to politicians and reading The Times. What language are reporters, TV hosts and politicians using to describe the millions of people around the world fleeing from their homes in search of a better life? Keep track of which words and descriptions are used, and then share your results with your class. What conclusions can you draw about how language is being used?
Consider the Helpers — and Think About How You Can Help
What organizations, companies and individuals are helping, and how?
How can you help?
The Anti-Defamation League has a new guide called Refugees, Reactions and World Response, part of its Table Talk: Family Conversations about Current Events series. Here are the A.D.L.’s suggestions:
Educate others about what’s happening by sharing information on social media, having individual conversations or organizing an educational event in the school or community.
Donate money or organize a fundraiser to support organizations that are helping refugees such as: Multifaith Alliance for Syrian Refugees, Jewish Coalition for Syrian Refugees or USA for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Write a letter to President Obama (or local Congressperson) to encourage them to increase aid or take in more refugees.
Here is more information, as well as links to organizations collecting donations:
More Teaching Ideas
For more learning activities and resources, visit our lesson “Tragedy in the Mediterranean: Learning About Europe’s Immigration Crisis.”
Additional Teaching Resources
The Choices Program | Refugee Stories: Mapping a Crisis – Students gain an understanding of the current refugee crisis by mapping data and exploring personal accounts of refugees.
This resource may be used to address the academic standards listed below.