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Lesson 2: The Backpack of the Refugee (For Secondary Students)

Time 40 mins

Teaching Resources PowerPoint

My Packing Cards (Attachment 1)

Worksheet: If I were a Child Refugee

(Attachment 2)

Background Reading Children in Crises: The Syria

Crisis and the Refugee Crisis in

Europe (Teacher Handouts)

Learning Objectives

Knowledge: (1) Understand the background of Syria Crisis and Refugee Crisis in Europe (2) Understand the needs and difficulties of child refugees through first-person

perspective

Attitude: (3) Cultivate empathy (4) Respect the rights of others

Skill: (5) Decision making (6) Listen attentively and express opinions (7) Communication and collaboration skills

Curriculum Link Life and Society (S1-3): Rights of the Child (Module 21), International Politics (Module 28) Liberal Studies (S4-6): Personal Development & Interpersonal Relationship, Globalization Moral and Civic Education Lesson Plan Time Activities Resources Objectives

5 mins

Understand the background of Syria Crisis and Refugee Crisis in Europe Consolidate the knowledge acquired in first lesson.

Briefly introduce the background of Syria Crisis and Refugee

Crisis in Europe

PPT(slide 4-7) (1)

20 mins

Activity 1: If I were a Child Refugee What would you take with you if war forced you from your home?

Through the ranking activity, students:

Experience decision making in what they would take when

fleeing to other countries

Be encouraged to analyze the basic needs that child refugees

are lack of

PPT(slide 8-11) Attachment 1 Attachment 2

(2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7)

10 mins

Activity 2: Observe photos - The REAL backpack of Child Refugee Through observing the real backpacks’ photos of child refugees,

students:

Understand what items are important for child refugees

Reflect on the needs, rights and difficulties of child refugees

PPT(slide 12-14) (3), (4)

5 mins Debrief: The rights that child refugees are deprived of PPT(slide 15-17) (2), (3)

© UNICEF/UNI197676/Gilbertson VII Photo

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Activity 1: If I were a Child Refugee (20 minutes) Objective: Through the ranking activity, students:

Experience decision making in what they would take when fleeing to other

countries

Be encouraged to analyze the basic needs that child refugees are lack of

Resources: PowerPoint (slide 8-11), My Packing Cards (Attachment 1),

Worksheet: If I were a Child Refugee (Attachment 2)

Rundown (Part 1):

1. Ask Students:

“Imagine that you live in a country having a war, are forced to suddenly flee to another country

NOW! You only have 8 minutes to pack up the things that you need. What would you take with

you?”

2. Divide students into 6 groups, each group has 5 – 6 students.

Distribute a set of My Packing Cards (Attachment 1) to each group.

3. Group Discussion: Each group can only choose 9 of the 12 items from the My Packing Cards.

Discuss within the group and rank the cards according to their level of importance. Record the

choices and reasons in the Worksheet: If I were a Child Refugee (Attachment 2).

4. Group Sharing: Teacher invites 2 – 3 groups to share their decision and their reason with the

class:

The 3 cards ranked most important

The 3 cards that they choose not to take

Most Important

2nd most

Important

2nd most

Important

Very Important Very Important Very Important

Quite Important Quite Important

Important

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Rundown (Part 2): 5. Teacher sets a new scene to each group of students and now they can only take 3 items:

“The fastest way to reach Europe is by a dangerous boat journey. The boat is full now and you can only take 3 most important items, other items have to be thrown away. You may need to

spend 2 weeks, 1 month or an even longer period of time in fleeing. Do you think the 3 items that you choose can fulfil your basic needs”

6. Group Discussion: Each group discusses the following questions, and records them in Worksheet: If I were a Child Refugee (Attachment 2). Teacher can also distribute Student Handouts p.4 to students as discussion material.

(1) How do you define “basic need”?

(Suggested Answer) Basic need is the essential element for human survival, growth and development. It is also a kind of right.

(2) If you can only take 3 items, what basic needs are you forced to give up? How does this decision affect your living? Please elaborate according to the 4 categories of the children’s rights (right to survival, right to protection, right to development and right to participation).

(Suggested Answer)

Child

Right

Items you have

given up

The basic needs you have lost and

how it is affected your living?

Right to

Survival

Food and clean water Malnutrition and unclean water will affect the children’s health

Hygiene supplies Improper hygiene will increase the risk of illness

Clothes Due to lack of warm clothing, children cannot protect themselves and keep

warm during the journey.

Medicine Lack of immediate professional medical treatment risks the health and

well-being of children and may aggravate the illness

Money Without spare money, they may face difficulties in coping with emergencies

Right to

Protection

Family Photo

(Parental care)

Separation from parents leaves children vulnerable with fear of exploitation

Tent/ proper housing Lack of proper housing and shelter exposes children to sickness, exploitation,

trafficking and sexual abuse

Identity cards and

documents

Lack of valid identity documents may delay the process of asylum application

Right to

Development

Textbooks Absence from school hinders the learning opportunities of children.

Toys／Games Without adequate space and time to play, without toys and peers, the social,

emotional and physical needs of children are not met.

Cultural／Religious

activities

Absence of adequate cultural or religious activities affect the emotional and

physical needs of the children

Right to

participation

Smart phone No access to smart phones, it may make it difficult to get the latest information

on refugee policy and transportation. Connection with relatives and hope of

finding missing relatives may also be lost.

7. Group Sharing: Teacher invites 2 – 3 groups to share their opinions.

8. Debrief:

Teacher explains that it is common for the boats used by refugees to be crowded and overloaded, forcing them to take things that are essential or important to them. Then, teacher shows 2 photos of the actual backpack of refugee children (refer to next page and PowerPoint) to students for facilitate better understanding on the child refugees and their needs.

Curriculum Linkage: Liberal Studies Apart from child-right perspective,

students can apply the concepts

learnt in Liberal Studies (e.g. Quality

of Life, Personal Development and

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs) for

develop multi-perspectives thinking.

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Activity 2: Observe photos - The REAL backpack of Child Refugee

(10 minutes)

Omran is on his way to Germany with his parents. His parents plan to travel through forests to

avoid detection, they made sure to pack bandages for cuts.

Iqbal left Afghanistan with a backpack only. He had traveled hundreds of miles and dodged bullets

to escape from northern Afghanistan and reach Iran. From there he walked to Turkey finally arriving

in Lesbos, Greece, but still unsure of where to go from here. Although he is on fleeing, he still pays

attention to appearance. “I want my skin to be white and hair to be spiked – I don’t want them to

know I’m a refugee. I think someone will spot me and call the police because I’m illegal.”

Source: International Rescue Committee

Omran (6 years old)

From: Syria

In his backpack:

1 pair of pants, 1 shirt

A syringe for emergencies,

bandages, medicine

Marshmallows, a food tin

Soap, tooth brush and tooth

paste

Iqbal (17 years old)

From: Afghanistan

In his backpack:

1 pair of pants, 1shirt, 1 pair of

shoes and socks, shampoo and

hair gel, toothbrush and tooth

paste, face whitening cream,

comb, nail clipper

Bandages, medicine

Money

Smart phone and back-up

phone, SIM cards

Tyler Jump / IRC

Tyler Jump / IRC

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Activity 2: Observe photos - The REAL backpack of Child Refugee

Objective: Through observing the real backpacks’ photos of child refugees, students:

Understand what items are important for child refugees

Reflect on the needs, rights and difficulties of child refugees

Resources: PowerPoint (slide 12-14)

Rundown: 1. Teacher invites students to observe 2 photos of backpacks belonging to child refugees and

compare them with the items chosen by students in Activity 1: If I were a Child Refugee: Analyze the similarities and differences between the backpacks of real child refugees and

the items chosen by you? How are the actual backpacks of real child refugees different from your imagination ?

(Free answer from students)

2. Teacher categorizes the items in the backpacks and invites students to guess their usage:

(Suggested Answer)

Category Items Usage

Clothing Pants, shirt, shoes and socks Protect self and keep warm throughout the long journey

Medical

treatment

Bandages First aid for cuts and wounds

To avoid detection some refugees choose to travel through

forests where they may sustain cuts and wounds enroute

Medicine and syringe for

emergencies

First -aid for treatment of illnesses

Cleansing and

appearance

Soap, shampoo, tooth brush

and tooth paste

Maintain good hygiene

Hair gel, face whitening cream,

comb and nail clipper

Maintain good grooming. To avoid being targeted as illegal

refugees some maintain good grooming.

Information Smart phone Stay connected with relatives

Assist in finding missing relatives

Smartphone with online map function helps track the

location and get the transport information

Money Money Buy necessities

Food Food tin and marshmallows Provide energy to sustain the journey

3. Ask Students: ● Do you think the items of child refugees can fulfil the needs as a child?

(Free answer from students)

4. Teacher further discusses about the rights and needs of child refugees that are usually neglected when fleeing (refer to PowerPoint).

Other Teaching Tips: Empathy

Students may feel surprise and curious on the items like mobile phones, hair gel and whitening cream. Teacher can

help students to put into others’ shoes by asking:” If you’re refugee, why you need to take….?” as opening. Through

this type of questioning, it helps students to think from the perspectives of refugees and they’ll figure out why refugees

need to take these things by themselves.

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My Packing Cards (Attachment 1)

Tent

Money

Identity cards and documents

Food and clean water

Clothes

Family Photo

＊If you give up this card, you lost parental care for 3 years.

© UNICEF/UN05635/Gilbertson VII Photo

© UNICEF/UN012784/Georgiev

© UNICEF/UNI127656/Vishwanathan

© UNICEF/UNI190199/Quarmyne

© UNICEF/UNI102696/Sautereau

© UNICEF/UN08799/Vas

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My Packing Cards (Attachment 1)

Textbooks ＊If you give up this card, you cannot back to school for 3 years

Medicine

Toys / Games ＊If you give up this card, you cannot play for 3 years.

Hygiene supplies

Cultural / Religious activities

＊If you give up this card, you cannot join the cultural and religious activities for 3 years

Smart phone

© UNICEF/UNI170899/Khan © UNICEF/UNI188791/Beechey

© UNICEF/UNI197793/Gilbertson VII

Photo

© UNICEF/UNI188241/Sekine

© UNICEF/UN03327/Ose © UNICEF/UN08278/Khuzaie

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Worksheet: If I were a Child Refugee (Attachment 2)

Part 1 Background: Imagine that you live in a country having a war, are forced to suddenly flee to

another country NOW! You only have 8 minutes to pack up the things that you need. What would you take with you?

Resources: My Packing Cards (1 sets 12 cards)

1. Read the My Packing Cards, choose 9 out of the 12 items from the My Packing Cards. 2. Discuss with your groupmates and rank the cards according to their level of importance. Place

the most important item in the first row, place the second most important on the second row and so on.

3. Record your choices and reasons below.

4. In your group, which 3 cards were chosen as the most important and the 3 cards that were not picked? Give reasons for your choice.

Cards Reason

3 cards that are most

important

3 cards that are not

picked

Most Important

2nd most important

2nd most important

Very Important

Very Important

Very Important

Quite Important

Quite Important

Important

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Worksheet: If I were a Child Refugee (Attachment 2)

Part 2 A new scene, each group of students can only take 3 items：

“The fastest way to reach Europe is by a dangerous boat

journey. The boat is full now and you can only take the 3

most important items, other items have to be thrown away.

You may need to spend 2 weeks, 1 month or even a longer

period of time in fleeing, do you think the 3 items that you

choose can fulfil your basic needs?”

Discuss the following questions with your groupmates:

1. How do you define “basic need”?

If you can only take 3 items, what basic needs you’re forced to give up? And how is it affected

your living? How does this decision affect your living? Please elaborate according to the 4

categories of children’s rights (right to survival, right to protection, right to development and

right to participation).

Curriculum Linkage: Liberal Studies Apart from child-right perspective,

students can apply the concepts

learnt in Liberal Studies (e.g. Quality

of Life, Personal Development and

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs) for

develop multi-perspectives thinking.

Rights to Survival

(E.g. Is there enough food to eat？)

Rights to Protection

(E.g. Can receive adequate care?)

Rights to Development

(E.g. Can receive age-appropriated

education?)

Rights to Participation

(E.g. Can access to information?)