Implementation of “Sharing is caring: Let your migration story be heard” (SOI-GR-352)
Author: Eleni Tsangari, Teacher of English
School/Organization: 2nd High School of Syros
I have chosen to implement the Learning Scenario “Sharing is caring: Let your migration story be heard”. It was created by Ms Konstantina Eirini Koufou. I have implemented it giving more emphasis on activities around refugees. The reason I have chosen this particular scenario is because of the large numbers of refugees that often arrive in Greece and other parts of Europe. Students are unaware not only of the difficulties refugees have to deal with but also with the objects and the loved ones they have left behind them. This theme will give my students the chance to learn more about the refugee crisis and develop empathy. However, it will also take them a step forward as they will have to think in depth about their responsibility to support refugees as European citizens. Students through the activities can get involved in the learning process and raise questions about refugees and their hardship. Also, they can come with ideas on how to include them in a welcoming way in our lives. They will hear their story and they will try to help them.
Key words for my scenario: empathy, refugee crisis, sharing, active citizen, diversity and inclusion
THE IMPLEMENTATION CONTEXT
SUBJECT(S) INVOLVED
I‘ve implemented the scenario in my English class. It is related to the first unit of the English course for B Class(Unity in Diversity) The educational scenario is also linked to “Skill Workshops”, a newly introduced subject in the school curriculum where students can learn about Human rights and racism. In the English class students can develop vocabulary related to the refugee crisis and also practice past tenses in grammar. In the Skill Workshops students learn about refugees and their hardships and try to find solutions. The scenario is implemented in the field “Becoming Active citizens” In both subjects all four Cs are integrated through the activities prepared.(Critical thinking, Creativity, Collaboration, Communication)
AGE OF PARTICIPANTS
13-14
SUITABLE SETTING FOR THE SCENARIO
Blended learning can be applied with activities implemented in the classroom but also virtually.
PREPARATION TIME
The teacher needs about three hours to prepare the material needed for the implementation of the scenario.
STUDENTS’ READINESS
The students are not familiar with the topic and they need to master firstly the vocabulary necessary for the scenario.
ACTIVITY TIME
The scenario will be implemented in 5 sessions 45 minutes each.
ONLINE TEACHING MATERIAL
Pictures of refugees
English coursebook, A CLASS (Senior High School)
Stories of refugees (texts)
Οικογένεια Δαμύρη: από την Β. Ήπειρο στην Κέρκυρα
Η χειροποίητη προίκα της γιαγιάς μου
A poem
Here I am, a poem by Electra Alexandropoulos
Videos
Tilos: Europe’s friendliest island
WELCOME – Official HD Trailer – A film by Philippe Lioret
Web tools
OFFLINE TEACHING MATERIAL
Material can be also handed out in photocopies.
A projector will be used for the videos. Notebooks, pencils, pens and markers will be used to help students work in teams
LEARNING SCENARIO OVERVIEW
I implemented the scenario using some of the basic ideas of the original scenario. In particular I have used ACTIVITY 4 of the original Learning Scenario with only minor changes.
Then, I proceeded implementing the scenario making the following adaptations:
1. I referred to the difference between the two words –refugees and immigrants-but in the activities I have created I emphasized on the identity of refugees, on their hardship and their need for our help. I think that it is better to prepare another lesson plan about immigrants, their hardship and their link to Greece.
2. I brought my students in touch with refugee stories through the Europeana material but I also took them a step forward asking them about our duty to protect and truly welcome refugees in our countries. The final session and the project is around this issue.
SESSION 1 (45 MINUTES)-IN THE SCHOOL COMPUTER LAB
- Students are shown 4 images taken from the student’s book for A class of Senior high school and they are asked to guess the topic of the lesson.
The words refugees, immigrants, asylum seeker, camp, to flee, tents, dinghy boat, lifejacket are introduced and students take Quiz 1 where they need to match a word with its definition and an image.
- Then, they are given a photocopy with a table and three columns titled I SEE-I THINK-I WONDER and they are asked to fill in these based on the four images. What can you see? Who do you think? What do you wonder about? Then they are asked to access the lino wall and in three different coloured post notes (blue, yellow, green) to post their answers.(Blue post it for I SEE, yellow for I THINK and green for I WONDER.)
SESSION 2 (45 MINUTES)-IN THE SCHOOL COMPUTER LAB
- Students watch the video The people of Nowhere and are asked to write down the feelings of a refugee leaving behind his/her home. It’s a great activity to brainstorm adjectives concerning feelings.They need to give their answers on https://answergarden.ch/
- Students read the poems Here I am, a poem by Electra Alexandropoulou and they are given time to choose images from Europeana to depict/visualize some of the poem’s images and feelings. It’s essential for students to navigate through the Europeana site.They are asked to upload their ideas on a padlet. They can finish this at home as part of their homework for next time. It is important to present their choices in class and elaborate on them next time.
In this session, it is really important to address the issues concerning the use of creative commons licenses. Emphasis is given on copyright permissions and the 6 CCs
SESSION 3 (45 MINUTES) IN THE CLASSROOM)
I followed the original part in this session. I have changed the links and I have added links where the objects belong to a refugee. The objects are wonderful and the stories really touching.
- Students are given five stories to read about people who have left their countries and have an object to remember it. They form 5 groups and they are asked to give their team a name. Each person in the group has a role (computer specialist, secretary, linguist ,historian)
1. What is the object described?
2. Who did it initially belong to?
3. To whom does it belong now?
4. How did the latter get it?
5. Does the object have any special meaning and/or use? If yes, state so.
Then they ask to write in a small post notes an object they would like to take with them if they were refugees themselves.
SESSION 4 (45 MINUTES) IN THE SCHOOL COMPUTER LAB)
Students watch the film Tilos:Europe’s friendliest island and find out about a Greek island that has welcomed refugees and has included them in the job sector of the island.
They need to note down on paper the way locals have welcomed the refugees on the remote island and then think in teams different ways to help refugees themselves. Their homework is to record in VOCAROO or in AUDACITY a PODCAST with the title SHARING IS CARING and upload it in the European school radio. In this radio show they will promote solidarity towards refugees and they will inform their peers about actions they can take to welcome refugee students in their school. What can we share with refugees?
SESSION 5 (45 MINUTES) IN THE SCHOOL COMPUTER LAB and AT HOME)
Students watch the trailer from the French movie WELCOME
WELCOME – Official HD Trailer – A film by Philippe Lioret.
It’s the story of a refugee who lives in a refugee camp in Calais in France and wants to swim across the Channel to find his love in England. A French swimming coach is helping him. The lives of the two men are about to change.
Students can watch the whole movie at home after the session. However, the trailer gives a good idea of the main characters and the plot. The teacher hands in a worksheet with information for all the characters involved.
Students form teams and write a different ending to the story. The object, a ring from the homeland should also be included in the writing task. The characters symbolize the different attitudes of European characters, the different faces of European authorities and citizens. Students get in their shoes and realize the way each team is facing refugees and their problems. Then they give the story a different ending.
The task is performed on a google doc for the members of each team.
It’s important to note down that the coach hands in the ring(a symbol of refugeeism ) to the young refugee’s love. It feels right to him to travel to England and help the young hero to fulfill his dream!
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of the scenario implementations students managed to
- improve their language skills in English(reading, listening, speaking and writing)
- improve their digital skills(use of webtools , email, google forms etc)
- be more aware of the refugee crisis and our duty as European citizens to offer them our help and solidarity.
- express their feelings about the situation in hot spots on the islands and also the Greek mainland.
I would advise other teachers that are interested in implementing the same scenario to emphasize an important aspect of our European identity which is our need to empathize with refugees and help them in an efficient way.
THE OUTCOMES FOR THE EDUCATORS
Using resources from Europeana was really helpful for me. The material is organized into subtopics and it’s really easy to find the sources you need for your lesson plans. Also, it’s moving to see all these features of our heritage collected in a digitized form ready to be used in our classrooms.
Students found the material used deeply linked to their identity as European citizens and this gave them inner motivation to find material in Europeana themselves.
Did you find this story of implementation interesting? Why don’t you read about the related learning scenario? “Sharing is caring: Let your migration story be heard” created by Ms Konstantina Eirini Koufou
Did you find this story of implementation interesting? You might also like:
- ‘I am the change’: refugees, art and activism implemented by Adrian Murphy
- A home for all implemented by Sofie Taes
- Keith Hering in Europe by Europeana Foundation
Do you want to discover more stories of implementation? Click here.
CC BY 4.0: the featured image used to illustrate this article has been found on Europeana and has been provided by the Rippl-Rónai Megyei Hatókörű Városi Múzeum – Kaposvár.