Active Citizenship and the Democratic State · 2nd Year

Active learning ideas

Understanding Refugees and Asylum Seekers

Active learning helps students grasp the complexities of refugee and asylum processes by making abstract legal terms and human stories concrete. When students move, sort, and role-play, they connect terminology to lived experiences, building both knowledge and empathy.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA: Junior Cycle - Global Citizenship
• NCCA: Junior Cycle - Rights and Responsibilities

• 25–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Jigsaw
• 35 min · Small Groups

Jigsaw: Key Terms

Divide class into expert groups on refugee, asylum seeker, and economic migrant definitions. Each group researches one term using provided handouts, then reforms into mixed jigsaws to teach peers and create a class glossary. End with a quick quiz to check understanding.

Differentiate between a refugee, an asylum seeker, and an economic migrant.

Facilitation Tip

During the Jigsaw Puzzle, circulate to listen for misconceptions about the 1951 Refugee Convention’s definition of persecution.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are advising a newly arrived asylum seeker. What are the top three pieces of advice you would give them about settling into Ireland, and why are these important?' Facilitate a class discussion where students share and justify their advice.

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

Activity 02

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 30 min · Pairs

Push-Pull Sort: Card Activity

Prepare cards with real scenarios like 'fleeing war' or 'seeking jobs.' In pairs, students sort into push/pull columns on posters, justify choices, and discuss Ireland-specific examples. Class shares top factors on a shared board.

Analyze the push and pull factors that lead to forced displacement.

Facilitation Tip

For the Push-Pull Sort, group students by case studies to debate similarities and differences in reasons for migration.

What to look for

Provide students with three short case study descriptions, each depicting a person leaving their home country. Ask them to label each person as a refugee, asylum seeker, or economic migrant, and briefly justify their choice using one key characteristic.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 45 min · Small Groups

Asylum Challenge Simulations: Role Cards

Distribute role cards depicting asylum seekers facing hurdles like interviews or housing waits. Small groups brainstorm solutions, present to class, and vote on most feasible supports. Debrief on Irish policy realities.

Hypothesize the challenges faced by individuals seeking asylum in a new country.

Facilitation Tip

In the Asylum Challenge Simulations, assign roles with varying resources to highlight systemic barriers asylum seekers encounter.

What to look for

On a small card, ask students to write down one push factor that might cause someone to flee their country and one pull factor that might attract them to Ireland. They should also write one question they still have about the asylum process.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 04

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 25 min · Whole Class

Empathy Mapping: Whole Class Timeline

Project a migration timeline; students add sticky notes with emotions and challenges at each stage from home to arrival. Discuss as a class, linking to news clips for current context.

Differentiate between a refugee, an asylum seeker, and an economic migrant.

Facilitation Tip

For Empathy Mapping, use sticky notes to layer student reflections on the timeline, ensuring each voice is visible.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are advising a newly arrived asylum seeker. What are the top three pieces of advice you would give them about settling into Ireland, and why are these important?' Facilitate a class discussion where students share and justify their advice.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic through structured role-play and case-based inquiry to avoid oversimplifying human experiences. Research shows that when students embody different perspectives, they retain legal distinctions longer and develop deeper empathy. Avoid lectures that separate facts from feelings; instead, weave them together through activities where students process emotions while analyzing policy.

Students will define key terms accurately, distinguish between refugee, asylum seeker, and economic migrant, and cite push and pull factors specific to Ireland. They will also demonstrate empathy by identifying challenges asylum seekers face during simulations.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Jigsaw Puzzle: Key Terms, watch for students conflating refugees and asylum seekers by using the terms interchangeably in discussions.

  After the puzzle, have each group present their term’s definition using only the Convention quote and Irish legal language, forcing precision and correcting errors in real time.

• During the Push-Pull Sort: Card Activity, watch for students assuming all migration is voluntary or driven by benefits.

  Have groups sort cards twice: first by reason, then by whether the reason is forced or chosen. Debate any misplaced cards using evidence from Irish Refugee Council reports.

• During the Asylum Challenge Simulations: Role Cards, watch for students assuming integration is immediate and without barriers.

  After roles are acted out, lead a class discussion where students map the timeline of challenges on the board, using sticky notes to add real-world steps like language classes or work permits, correcting the myth of instant integration.

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Methods used in this brief

• Jigsaw
• Inside-Outside Circle