What's included
5 pre-recorded lessons
5 weeks
of teacher support1 year access
to the contentClass Experience
This class will be a look into the lives of refugees. We will examine the reasons why various people around the world and at different periods of history have had to flee their homes. We'll discuss some of the challenges those people may have faced in their journey out of their homeland, and challenges faced in their new home. We will also consider the perspectives of other stakeholder groups. For example, how might a local, native population feel about large numbers of refugees entering their home country or region? What challenges would the arrival of refugees present to local governments? In each lesson we will learn about a different story. Some may be the stories of famous people, others will be people you've never heard of before. All stories are connected by their shared experiences of having to flee their homes and make a new life in a new land. During each class, learners will be presented with facts and information about that week's individual or group, and discussion questions will help us consider the circumstances in greater depth. For some lessons, additional resources such as videos, articles, or other links may be posted. This is primarily a lecture-based, direct instruction class. Video lessons range from 21-36 minutes in length.
Syllabus
Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created Curriculum5 Lessons
over 5 WeeksLesson 1:
Introduction. What is a Refugee?
This lesson will introduce the term "refugee" as well as related terms such as "immigrant," "migrant" and "expatriate." After this lesson, students will understand the difference in these terms as well as some of the "Push and Pull" factors that influence people to leave their homes.
Lesson 2:
Albert Einstein
We will learn about the life of the famous physicist, Albert Einstein, who left his home country of Germany two different times over the course of his young adult life, and was even country-less for several years before finally becoming a United States citizen. We will learn about how he became a target of the Nazis and his role in the development of the atomic bomb that eventually helped bring an end to World War II.
Lesson 3:
The Irish Poato Famine
We will learn about this tumultuous period of Irish history, the tremendous suffering caused by the famine, and about the millions of people who chose to leave their country and begin a new life in America. We will look at the challenges the new immigrants faced in tenement housing and the major impact of this period of history on American culture that continues even to this day.
Lesson 4:
Yusra Mardini
Yusra Mardini fled her home city of Damascus, Syria with her sister in 2015. The two girls had an incredible journey first to Turkey and then an attempt to cross the Aegean Sea by boat. When the boat motor failed, Yusra and her sister, both trained champion swimmers, swam for three hours while pulling the boat and its 17 passengers behind them to safey in Greece. Yusra went on to become a member of the first-ever Refugee Olympic Team at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Parents should be aware that some topics may be upsetting or disturbing for learners and ensure that their child is emotionally mature enough for the content of the class, although each topic will be presented in an age-appropriate way. Some elements of the refugee story which students may find upsetting and which may be included in our discussions include war, famine, natural disasters, death, hardships in traveling from one place to another, disease, racism, persecution and discrimination.
Language of Instruction
English (Level: A2)
Teacher expertise and credentials
North Carolina Teaching Certificate in Elementary Education
2 Degrees
Master's Degree in Education from University of Missouri at Columbia
Bachelor's Degree in Education from Calvin College
I have been an elementary school classroom teacher in brick and mortar schools for 20 years. I taught a unit on refugees with much of the same content as this class to my students for three years. I have an undergraduate minor in the teaching of social studies and am certified to teach social studies to grades K-8 by the State of North Carolina.
Reviews
Self-Paced Course
$6
weekly or $30 for all content5 pre-recorded lessons
5 weeks of teacher support
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1 year of access to the content
Completed by 2 learners
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Ages: 10-14