Teaching materials ages 6-9
© UNHCR
In this age group, you can anticipate that children can concentrate on a particular topic for around twenty minutes at a time and increasingly longer as they reach ages 8 and 9.
Teaching materials require children to interact with their peers, a teacher and possibly with other materials. There are no required reading or writing-based activities in this age bracket, although children are encouraged to employ these skills in groups and as they get older.
Teaching materials are focused on building socio-emotional skills in the classroom to allow students and teachers to co-create a peaceful classroom environment where children can celebrate their differences.
The activities are linked as much as possible to the experiences of children themselves and what their home life is like.
Video and audio materials for this age group tell stories of a refugee child of the same age as the pupils through discussion of upbeat, familiar and relevant topics such as home-life, hobbies, toys, new school life and future dreams.
Click on the links below to download the teaching materials. You can use the curriculum, the guides, the video exercises and learning activities as you see fit. Download the Teaching About Refugees Lesson Plan template to prepare or use your lesson planning tools.
Main curriculum about refugees, asylum and migration
This main curriculum for children aged 6 -9 contains suggestions for short class activities focusing on building socio-emotional skills and facilitating peer relationships, celebrating diversity, understanding new arrivals in the classroom, as well as creating a peaceful environment in the classroom. Activities take 10-20 minutes.
- Download the main curriculum
- Activity sheet: Letter matching activity
- Activity sheet: Number matching activity
- Activity sheet: Face expression activity
Integrating teaching about refugees, asylum and migration in your class activities
This module contains guidance and ideas on how to introduce the topic in various settings in your classroom. Activities take 5-15 minutes.
- Download the thematic guide
- Activity sheet: Refugee numbers activity
School activity guide for 6 – 9-year-olds
This practical guide contains some suggestions for activities that can be done with the class or with others in the school community, like parents and siblings. Some activities are short; others can take up to a couple of hours.
Video exercise
Watch this video with your students and use the video exercise lesson plan to do a couple of activities and ask a few questions. Activities take 15-30 minutes.
Rahf's story
Rahf is a seven year old girl from Syria with a special hobby: karate. She had to flee the war in her country with her mother, father, sister and four brothers. The family first fled to Jordan and was then resettled to Luxembourg, where Rahf is now attending school and learning languages.
