Refugees and Displaced Persons

Active learning helps students move beyond abstract facts about forced migration by engaging them in the human realities of displacement. Hands-on activities like mapping and simulations make geographic patterns and personal stories concrete, which builds empathy and critical thinking about global issues.

• Grade 7
• Geography
• 4 activities
• 40 min–60 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze the primary geographic push factors that cause individuals to flee their home countries.
2. Explain the spatial patterns of global refugee movements and identify key origin and destination regions.
3. Compare the challenges faced by refugees seeking asylum in different host countries, considering factors like policy and resources.
4. Evaluate the role of international organizations in providing humanitarian aid to displaced populations.

Case Study Analysis

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Mapping Activity: Refugee Flow Maps

Provide students with world outline maps and UNHCR data cards showing major refugee movements. In small groups, they plot routes, label origin and host countries, and add symbols for causes like war or drought. Groups share one pattern observed.

Prepare & details

Analyze the geographic factors contributing to refugee crises globally.

Facilitation Tip: For the Mapping Activity, provide a large world map and colored pencils so students can visually layer push factors, routes, and destinations in one place.

Setup: Groups at tables with case materials

Materials: Case study packet (3-5 pages), Analysis framework worksheet, Presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Jigsaw

⏱ 60 min·Small Groups

Jigsaw: Refugee Case Studies

Divide class into expert groups, each assigned a case like Syrian refugees in Canada or Venezuelan displaced persons. Experts study geographic causes and challenges, then regroup to teach peers. Conclude with a class timeline of global crises.

Prepare & details

Explain the challenges faced by refugees seeking asylum in new countries.

Facilitation Tip: For the Jigsaw Strategy, assign each group a unique case study and require them to present findings using a one-page infographic to ensure accountability.

Setup: Flexible seating for regrouping

Materials: Expert group reading packets, Note-taking template, Summary graphic organizer

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Simulation Game

⏱ 50 min·Pairs

Simulation Game: Asylum Journey

Set up stations representing stages: fleeing home, border crossing, camp life, asylum interview. Pairs rotate, collecting 'challenge cards' with geographic barriers like mountains or oceans, then debrief on real impacts.

Prepare & details

Evaluate the effectiveness of international aid in supporting displaced populations.

Facilitation Tip: For the Simulation Game, limit time and resources to mirror real-world constraints, and debrief immediately after to process emotional and strategic takeaways.

Setup: Flexible space for group stations

Materials: Role cards with goals/resources, Game currency or tokens, Round tracker

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Case Study Analysis

⏱ 40 min·Whole Class

Debate Circles: Aid Effectiveness

Pose statements like 'International aid fully supports displaced persons.' Students in inner and outer circles debate using evidence from maps and articles, switching roles midway for balanced views.

Prepare & details

Analyze the geographic factors contributing to refugee crises globally.

Facilitation Tip: For Debate Circles, assign roles (e.g., policymaker, aid worker, refugee) to deepen perspective-taking and ensure balanced participation.

Setup: Groups at tables with case materials

Materials: Case study packet (3-5 pages), Analysis framework worksheet, Presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Teaching This Topic

Teaching this topic works best when you balance geographic data with human stories to avoid reducing refugees to numbers. Avoid oversimplifying causes or solutions, as students need time to process the complexity of displacement. Research suggests that simulations and case studies build both empathy and analytical skills, so prioritize activities that require students to step into multiple perspectives.

What to Expect

Students will demonstrate understanding by accurately tracing refugee flows on maps, analyzing case studies with nuance, navigating simulation challenges with empathy, and debating aid effectiveness with evidence. Success looks like students connecting geographic patterns to human experiences and policy implications.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the Mapping Activity, watch for students labeling migration routes without connecting them to push factors like war or persecution.

What to Teach Instead

Ask students to include sticky notes on their maps with specific push factors next to each route, then have them discuss how these factors shape the direction and destination of flows.

Common Misconception

During the Jigsaw Strategy, listen for groups describing refugees as seeking 'better opportunities' instead of highlighting threats to survival.

What to Teach Instead

Prompt groups to revisit their case studies and identify the specific threats that forced displacement, such as violence or environmental collapse, and have them present these distinctions to the class.

Common Misconception

During the Simulation Game, notice if students assume refugee camps offer long-term safety and stability.

What to Teach Instead

After the simulation, facilitate a reflection where students compare their camp experiences to real-world data on camp longevity and resource limitations, using the simulation's constraints as a starting point.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

After the Mapping Activity, have students write on a sticky note one push factor causing displacement, one country in crisis, and one asylum challenge, then collect these to assess their ability to connect geographic patterns to human experiences.

Discussion Prompt

After the Jigsaw Strategy, facilitate a class discussion using the prompt: 'Based on your case study, what are the top three geographic or social considerations for supporting refugees, and why?' to evaluate their synthesis of case-specific details.

Quick Check

During the Simulation Game, circulate and listen for students articulating at least one push factor and one challenge they faced, using these observations to assess their engagement with the activity's core concepts.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Have students research and present a lesser-known refugee crisis not covered in class, including a map of flows and a short video interview with an affected person.
• Scaffolding: Provide sentence starters for discussions, such as 'One challenge refugees face is... because...' to support students struggling with open-ended prompts.
• Deeper exploration: Invite a local refugee advocate or organization to speak with students about how their work addresses geographic and social challenges in refugee resettlement.

Key Vocabulary

Refugee	A person who has been forced to leave their country or home, especially because of war, persecution, or natural disaster, and cannot return safely.
Internally Displaced Person (IDP)	A person who is forced to flee their home but remains within their country's borders, not crossing an international frontier.
Asylum Seeker	A person who has left their country of origin and is seeking protection in another country, but whose claim to refugee status has not yet been definitively granted.
Push Factors	Reasons that compel people to leave their home country, such as conflict, persecution, poverty, or environmental degradation.
Pull Factors	Reasons that attract people to a new country, such as perceived safety, economic opportunities, or family reunification.