Refugee Picture Books
We are all about to start teaching again and the world seems upside down. My province is on fire. The global pandemic its entering its fourth wave. Afghanistan has once again been overrun by the Taliban and refugees are fleeing. The worldwide refugee crisis is not going away. Understanding what a refugee is and learning about the experiences of refugees can be hard for kids. I really like using two books to help unpack the basics before diving into deeper conversations. Before you dive into this topic, it is important to think about your class. Do you have any refugees? Could this topic create an unintended trauma response? You might want to your school counsellor and/or previous teachers to get information. Talking to a family this topic might impact is also important. One of my former students was a refugee camp survivor and she wanted to tell the class about it. It was painful and powerful. Each child is different and each experience is unique. You know you class!
What is a Refugee? by Elise Gravel: This story breaks down terminology and complex ideas in a beautiful and clear way. I used it with grade five students and it helped them understand terminology. It is a book that could definitely be used younger or older. I love the use of space on the page and the thoughtful diverse images. It can be used as a start of a discussion or for a reflection piece. Here is a suggested plan:
Before Reading: Create a class brainstorm of what they think a refugee is…what do they know? What do they wonder? What might be stereotypes.
During Reading: Choose a listening activity that is appropriate for your class and pause at different points to reflect on your brainstorm…what is true now? What might we add?
After Reading: In small groups, they could brainstorm questions they still have to use for research. You could use this as a jumping off point to look at different refugee experiences around the world.
We Are All Dots: A Big Plan for a Better World: This story uses filled and empty dots to explain patterns of movement in our world. It is deceptively simple and incredibly powerful. It can be the start of a deep conversation and links to art activities very well.
Dot Art Follow-Up: I give students 8 1/2 X 11 or 11 X 17 piece of paper and challenge them to create a piece that represents the world they want to live in OR a connection they made to the text. They can use only dots, a few colours, and speech bubbles which replicates the format of the story. We then do a silent gallery walk before having small group discussions to debrief the work.
Loose Parts Follow-Up: Loose parts has traditionally been used in the primary classroom, but I am a HUGE advocate of using them in intermediate classrooms. The centre of each table will have an assortment of materials and I provide the students with a prompt that reflects both the story and the topic we are exploring. For example, I might write on the board ‘Use the loose parts provided to recreate the most powerful image from the text-be prepared to defend your choice’ or ‘Use the loose parts provided to represent one way you can support refugees coming to Canada’. After the students have completed the building, they get a sticky note to quickly jot down their main idea. We might do a lit circle style share at a table (‘Say Something’ strategy) or a gallery walk. Photos might be taken so that the work can be used later as a basis for a writing piece.
There are so many great books about specific experiences (e.g. Stepping Stones by Margriet Ruurs). Talk to your teacher librarian to find out their favourites. The more specific books could become part of a deeper exploration or the next step in your lesson. The books I have talked about in this post are books that I have used and will use again.