Social Studies · Grade 6

Active learning ideas

Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Canada

Active learning lets students step into the roles of refugees, policymakers, and advocates, building empathy and understanding that facts alone cannot achieve. When students research real journeys, role-play hearings, and debate policies, they move beyond abstract definitions to see human impact and legal complexity in concrete ways.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• ON: People and Environments: Canada's Interactions with the Global Community - Grade 6

• 35–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Jigsaw
• 50 min · Small Groups

Jigsaw: Refugee Journeys

Divide class into expert groups, each researching a different refugee crisis (e.g., Syrian, Ukrainian, Rohingya). Groups create visual timelines of events leading to flight and Canada's response. Experts then teach their peers in mixed home groups, followed by a class gallery walk.

Differentiate between the legal definitions of an immigrant and a refugee.

Facilitation Tip

During the Jigsaw Research activity, assign each group one refugee profile to ensure all students engage with real stories before comparing categories.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'If Canada has limited resources, how should we prioritize who receives asylum?' Facilitate a class debate, encouraging students to use evidence from the lesson to support their arguments about ethical responsibilities and practical considerations.

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

Activity 02

• Simulation Game
• 45 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: Asylum Hearing

Assign roles: claimant, immigration officer, lawyer, interpreter. Provide case files with evidence. Students conduct mock hearings, deliberate on status approval, then debrief on real criteria and ethical factors.

Analyze the criteria Canada uses to determine refugee status.

Facilitation Tip

In the Asylum Hearing simulation, ask observers to note which criteria (persecution grounds, evidence quality) sway their group’s decision, then share findings in a debrief.

What to look for

Provide students with short case study scenarios of individuals seeking protection. Ask them to write one sentence explaining whether the individual would likely be considered a refugee or an immigrant under Canadian law, and why.

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

Activity 03

• Case Study Analysis
• 40 min · Pairs

Debate Circles: Refugee Policies

Pose statements like 'Canada should prioritize private sponsorships.' Students prepare pro/con arguments in pairs, then debate in rotating circles. Vote and reflect on how evidence sways opinions.

Justify Canada's ethical responsibilities to individuals seeking safety.

Facilitation Tip

For Debate Circles, provide a clear resolution and time each speaker strictly to keep discussions focused on policy arguments rather than personal opinions.

What to look for

On a slip of paper, have students define 'refugee' in their own words and list two reasons why someone might need to seek asylum in another country.

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

Activity 04

• Case Study Analysis
• 35 min · Pairs

Mapping Activity: Global to Canada

Students plot refugee source countries on world maps, trace migration routes, and mark Canadian entry points. Add data on acceptance rates and discuss patterns.

Differentiate between the legal definitions of an immigrant and a refugee.

Facilitation Tip

Use the Mapping Activity to have students trace global hotspots to Canada’s resettlement regions, reinforcing geography and policy links with visual evidence.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'If Canada has limited resources, how should we prioritize who receives asylum?' Facilitate a class debate, encouraging students to use evidence from the lesson to support their arguments about ethical responsibilities and practical considerations.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Approach this topic with structured empathy, balancing emotional engagement with legal rigor. Avoid oversimplifying refugee experiences by always grounding discussions in Canada’s legal framework and real case profiles. Research shows that role-play and structured debate help students confront biases while developing critical thinking about humanitarian responsibilities.

By the end of these activities, students will confidently explain the differences between refugees and immigrants, articulate Canada’s refugee determination process, and evaluate policy choices with evidence. Success looks like students using legal criteria to justify decisions in simulations and debates, not just repeating information.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Jigsaw Research activity, watch for students assuming all newcomers are refugees based on origin stories alone.

  Have groups sort profiles into immigrant or refugee categories using the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act criteria, then discuss why some cases (like economic migrants) do not qualify as refugees.

• During the Asylum Hearing simulation, watch for students assuming refugee claims are approved automatically if the person is in danger.

  During the debrief, ask students to compare their group’s decisions with Canada’s actual approval rates and discuss how credibility and evidence gaps affect outcomes.

• During the Mapping Activity, watch for students equating poverty with refugee status.

  Provide case studies where people flee economic hardship but lack persecution grounds, then have groups explain why these cases do not meet refugee criteria under international law.

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Methods used in this brief

• Jigsaw
• Simulation Game
• Case Study Analysis