Global Challenges: Migration and Refugees

Active learning builds empathy and critical thinking for a topic as complex as migration, where facts alone can’t replace lived experience. Students need to move beyond stereotypes by analyzing real factors and making decisions in contexts that mirror global realities.

• Year 7
• Citizenship
• 4 activities
• 35 min–50 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze the push and pull factors that cause individuals and families to migrate globally.
2. Explain the key provisions of the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and its relevance to asylum seekers.
3. Evaluate the ethical considerations and international responses to refugee crises.
4. Compare the legal definitions and protections afforded to refugees versus economic migrants.
5. Synthesize information to propose potential solutions for addressing global migration challenges.

Case Study Analysis

⏱ 35 min·Pairs

Mapping Activity: Push and Pull Factors

Pairs research a specific country facing migration pressures, list three push and three pull factors, and mark routes on a large world map. They add symbols for key events and present one route to the class. End with a whole-class vote on most influential factors.

Prepare & details

Analyze the push and pull factors contributing to global migration and refugee movements.

Facilitation Tip: During the Mapping Activity, have students annotate maps with both push and pull factors using different colors, then pair them to compare regional patterns before whole-class discussion.

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

Case Study Analysis

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Role-Play: Refugee Family Simulation

Small groups role-play a family deciding to migrate, facing push factors through scenario cards. They debate options, vote on a path, and explain choices to the class. Debrief on emotional impacts and legal rights.

Prepare & details

Explain the international legal frameworks protecting refugees and asylum seekers.

Facilitation Tip: In the Role-Play, assign clear roles and provide a one-page scenario with time constraints so students focus on human decisions rather than improvisation.

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

Case Study Analysis

⏱ 50 min·Small Groups

Debate Carousel: Policy Responses

Divide class into four policy stations: open borders, strict quotas, aid packages, return programs. Small groups prepare arguments at one station, rotate to counter others, then vote on best approach. Teacher facilitates ethical reflections.

Prepare & details

Evaluate the ethical obligations of nations in responding to humanitarian crises involving migration.

Facilitation Tip: For the Debate Carousel, rotate groups every six minutes and require each team to summarize the previous group’s key point before adding their own.

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

⏱ 40 min·Small Groups

Jigsaw: Refugee Crises

Assign expert groups one crisis like Rohingya or Afghan refugees to summarize facts, laws, and responses. Regroup into mixed teams to share and create a class action plan poster. Display for ongoing reference.

Prepare & details

Analyze the push and pull factors contributing to global migration and refugee movements.

Facilitation Tip: When running the Case Study Jigsaw, assign each crisis a color-coded packet and use timed expert groups before mixing students for peer teaching.

Setup: Flexible seating for regrouping

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

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

Teaching This Topic

Start with concrete, human-scale stories to avoid abstraction. Use structured tasks like sorting cards or role-plays to prevent students from defaulting to broad generalizations. Research shows that when students role-play as decision-makers, they better grasp the tensions between humanitarian duty and national constraints, which improves both empathy and analytical depth.

What to Expect

Students will distinguish push and pull factors, empathize with displaced families, evaluate policy trade-offs, and apply legal definitions to case studies. Success looks like accurate categorization, respectful debate, and evidence-based reasoning in group and written work.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the Mapping Activity, watch for students who group all migrants under 'refugees' without examining legal definitions. Redirect by asking them to sort cards labeled 'fleeing war,' 'seeking better wages,' and 'joining family' into two columns: refugee criteria vs. other migration reasons.

What to Teach Instead

During the Role-Play, listen for statements like 'They should just apply properly.' Redirect by asking groups to review the 1951 Convention definition projected on the board and restate the scenario character’s eligibility in their own words.

Common Misconception

During the Role-Play, watch for comments assuming wealthy countries always accept refugees easily. Redirect by having groups tally their simulation decisions on a class chart and compare acceptance rates to real-world data from UNHCR.

What to Teach Instead

During the Debate Carousel, note if students cite 'common sense' without evidence. Pause the carousel and ask each group to cite one article, treaty, or statistic before continuing their argument.

Common Misconception

During the Mapping Activity, watch for students who list only economic reasons in their push/pull factors. Redirect by asking pairs to add at least one non-economic factor from the scenarios provided, such as climate-induced drought or political persecution.

What to Teach Instead

After the Case Study Jigsaw, if students still emphasize economic motives, ask experts to present their crisis in a 60-second pitch highlighting three drivers, then have listeners revise their initial notes before teaching others.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

After the Debate Carousel, pose the question: 'Imagine you are advising a government. What are the three most important ethical considerations when deciding how many refugees your country can accept?' Facilitate a class debate, encouraging students to justify their choices with reference to humanitarian principles and national capacity discussed during the carousel.

Exit Ticket

After the Mapping Activity, ask students to write on a slip of paper: 'One push factor that might cause someone to leave their home country is _____. One pull factor that might attract them to a new country is _____. The 1951 Refugee Convention primarily aims to protect _____.' Collect responses to check for accuracy and common themes.

Quick Check

After the Case Study Jigsaw, present students with short scenarios describing individuals leaving their homes. Ask them to classify each person as either an asylum seeker, a refugee, or an economic migrant, and briefly explain their reasoning based on the scenario’s details discussed in their expert groups.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge students who finish early to research a lesser-known refugee crisis and prepare a two-minute briefing for the class, including historical context and current status.
• For students who struggle, provide sentence stems for the debate carousel, such as 'One benefit of accepting refugees is...' and 'One challenge is...' to scaffold argumentation.
• Deeper exploration: Invite students to compare the 1951 Refugee Convention with a modern regional agreement, analyzing differences in definitions and protections.

Key Vocabulary

Asylum seeker	A person who has left their country of origin and is seeking protection in another country. They have not yet been granted refugee status.
Refugee	A person who has been forced to leave their country, especially because of war or persecution. They are recognized under international law and have specific rights.
Push factors	Reasons that compel people to leave their home country, such as war, poverty, or natural disasters.
Pull factors	Reasons that attract people to a new country, such as job opportunities, safety, or family connections.
Internally Displaced Person (IDP)	Someone who is forced to flee their home but remains within their country's borders, not crossing an international frontier.