Teacher's Guide for FACES ^® World Refugees

Refugee * Asylum country * Internally displaced person * Returnee * 1951 Refugee Convention * UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) * FAI (Film Aid International) * Persecuted * Repatriation * Sanctuary * Devastation * Coup * Dictator * Corrupt * Nationalize * Embargo * Blockade * Blasphemy * Stipend * Reprisal

1. Contact a local Red Cross office, church group, Lions' or Rotary Club, sorority alumni group, or college to find volunteers working to help 21^st-century refugees. Ask these volunteers to share their stories (along with videos, pictures, and souvenirs) with your class.
2. With administrative approval, organize a 'new and gently-used' collection drive to benefit refugee children. Ask your volunteer speakers (or contact one of the groups listed in #3) for a list of needed items (which may include items such as clothing, shoes, prescription eyeglasses, athletic equipment, books, school supplies, toys, computer equipment, bedding, or camping equipment). Your school's student council, service organization, parent group, or a local merchant may be willing to donate the cost of shipping.
3. Contact the news departments of local television stations, asking for current video clips showing refugees from different parts of the world. Use these short clips as writing (or journal) prompts during the unit.
4. Ask students if any of their parents or grandparents came to your community as refugees. Arrange times during this unit to share these stories through classroom visits, scrapbooks, letters, or video and audiotapes.
5. Organize a class 'news team' to write, film, and edit segments of a class news video reporting (and perhaps dramatizing) what they've learned about world refugees. Arrange for this video to be aired on local access television, on the school's closed-circuit system, or through visits to other classrooms (with introductions by news team members).

Before reading this issue of FACES ^®:

What is the difference between an immigrant and a refugee? Ask each student to answer this question in a short journal entry. Share these entries in class discussions.

Preview this issue:

Read and discuss both the "Editor's Message" (page 2) and the information presented on pages 4 - 5 ("At a Glance"). Ask students to find newspaper and magazine articles about 21^st-century refugees. Share these in class presentations and on a bulletin board or wall display.

1. Before reading the article, ask each student to spend 2 - 3 minutes making a list of those things they must have to survive. Then,
2. Read the article. Using butcher paper or the chalkboard, make a class list of the basic needs of refugees. Ask each student to write a brief journal paragraph comparing his or her personal "survival" list to the class list.
3. Find out more about FAI (Film Aid International) by visiting their web site at www.filmaidinternational.org

1. Divide the class into teams of 2 - 4 students. Ask each team to find other historical examples of refugees in history textbooks, encyclopedias, or by searching library resources or the Internet. Each team should write and present a short live 'newscast' featuring interviews with these historical refugees. If possible, videotape these presentations.
2. Why do people become refugees? Discuss the reasons presented in the article and the timeline on page 13. Ask students to add specific examples from their research about refugees throughout history.
3. Ask the school or community library for books containing letters and journal entries of Pilgrims and other early refugees who settled in America. Read excerpts aloud in class.
4. Ask each student to choose one example of refugees in history. Create a character, then write a fictional one-week "Diary of a Refugee." Entries should describe the refugee, where they came from, why they left their native land, their current living conditions and their hopes for the future.

1. For class discussion: What keeps some 21^st-century refugees from returning to their homeland (repatriation)?
2. Using information on the United Nations' website (www.un.org) plus library, newspapers, and other sources, investigate the work of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). If possible, include this information in the class video.
3. Ask a small group to research, write and present a 'news update' about landmines. Tape the segment for inclusion in the class video (see #5 in "Before You Begin this Unit").

• Divide the class into small groups (3 - 4 students). Give each group 10 - 15 minutes to collaboratively write a poem about the refugee experience. Share and discuss these poems in class.
  • Ask students to bring newspapers and magazines to class. Use pictures and images from these materials to create poster-collages of each group's poem. Display these in class.

• Ask a small group to investigate the contents of a typical HDR (Humanitarian Daily Rations) packet. Prepare a class display showing exact quantities of each item, possible recipes, and other details.

1. Ask grandparents or community seniors to share memories of the Cuban Missile Crisis and Freedom Flights.
2. Send a small group to search the archives of the community library for newspaper and magazine stories about the Cuban Missile Crisis.
3. Ask another small group to search library resources, current publications, and the Internet for information about the 21^st-century Cuban-American community.

1. What is cross-culturalization?
2. Ask each student to find five examples of cross-culturalization in their homes and lives. Share these in class. Ask each student to write a short journal entry describing ways in which their lives have been enriched by other cultures.
3. Ask small groups of students to create 'melting pot' menus for an imaginary new restaurant featuring foods and recipes brought to this country by refugees. Display these menus. Organize a classroom 'feast' to sample items from these menus.
4. Call the local Chamber of Commerce or community college to find out about ethnic festivals and celebrations in the community.

1. Find copies of the poems of Nguyen Chi Thien, Yi Ping, and other refugee poets and writers. Share with the class.
2. Using the library or Internet resources, ask a small group to learn more about the IPW (International Parliament of Writers) and the U.S. Cities of Asylum. Share these findings through another videotaped segment for the class video.

1. the World Refugees crossword puzzle on page 39
2. the "Think About It" questions on page 47. Write a letter to FACES ^®!
3. the books and online resources listed on pages 46 - 47.

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Updated: 9/2/10 11:37 am
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