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Lesson 5: Refugees and Asylum Seekers
Goal: To learn about refugees and asylum seekers

Objectives:

  • Students will gain an understanding of refugees and asylum seekers, including information about refugees’ personal journeys
  • Students will examine the number of refugees and asylum seekers in the U.S. and examine the personal stories of two asylum seekers
  • Students will explore possible causes of immigration of refugees to the U.S. and the impact on society
  • Students will study where refugees and asylum seekers come from, why they flee their homes, and how they journey to the United States

Materials:

Time Frame: Four to five class periods

Age Level: Middle school to adult Vocabulary: Refugee, Asylum, Asylum seeker

Relevant Subject Areas and Connection to Minnesota State High School Standards:

  • Inquiry and Research: World History and Cultures
  • Write and Speak: Academic Writing, Interpersonal Communication
  • French language class
  • Spanish Language class

 

Activity 5.1: Taking Refuge
Help students to look deeper into what it means to be a refugee or asylum seeker.
Activity 5.2: Understanding the Journeys
In an attempt to reach a closer understanding of the refugee experience, the students will undertake a simulation exercise.
Activity 5.3: Applying for Asylum
To illustrate the difficulty of the process of applying for asylum, the class will attempt to fill out the asylum application in a “language” that students may find somewhat familiar: Pig Latin.
Activity 5.4: A Historical Look at the 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.
Activity 5.5: Exploring Immigration in Language Classes
Learn more about personal stories of the asylum process