History

Refugees Through the Ages

Throughout history, political turmoil has victimized many civilian families, forcing them to flee their homes. Refugee outflows and other massive displacements of people are a key aspect of many international crises. For children, in particular, looking at world events from the point of view of a refugee family can give new meaning and a sense of reality to events that may otherwise seem abstract and far away. The theme can be introduced in:

Medieval/Early Modern History: The religious wars.

Contemporary History: World War I, the Russian Revolution, the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the Second World War and Nazism, colonization and decolonization in Africa, Soviet influence in Central and Eastern Europe, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Vietnam War, the dictatorships in Latin-America - all these events and many more have victimized millions of people and forced them to flee their homes, families and communities.

9-11 year olds	Refugees in History Unit Plan Lesson Plans Lesson 1: Why do people move to another country? Lessons 2 and 3: What do you see in your mind? Lesson 4: Blackboard summary of reasons for flight Lesson 5: Asylum
12-14 year olds	The Rwandan Crisis 1994 Unit Plan Lesson Plans Lessons 1 and 2: How did the Rwandan crisis start? Lesson 3: The 'G' word Lessons 4 and 5: Going back home
15-18 year olds	Population Displacement in the Commonwealth of Independent States Unit Plan Lesson Plans Lesson 1: Where do people go when they are forced to move? Lessons 2 and 3: Migration within the CIS Lesson 4: Multi-ethnicity Lessons 5 and 6: Case study - Tajikistan