Have students read Handout 5.9: Two Major Points of Refugee and Asylum Law. As a class or in small groups, make a simple visual timeline of Ancient Jewish Law and the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. Calculate the time elapsed between these two major points in history and the amount of time elapsed from each major point to today. Add to the timeline any significant world events that occurred near each date. Questions:
- What do the two major historical points have in common?
- Describe some of their differences.
- What ethical aspects of each historical law are found in our laws today?
- Where are they found in international, national and local law?
- If you could adapt a “law” to be used in your classroom, what would it be? Why?
(Refer back to Handout 2.2: “Immigration and World Events Timeline” and Handout 2.5: “Chronology: Restrictions on Immigration and Naturalization” for a more in-depth look at the chronology of world events as related to refugees and immigrants.)