Group+11+Middle+school

Middle School: Refugees
 With maturation and a strong foundation based on learning about being and belonging (Tasmanian Curriculum, 2009), we are able to move students from the issues of friendship and their immediate world to that of issues that relate to the global environment. 21st century technologies have ensured that our environment is rich with information and interwoven into all facets of our lives (Morgan and Kennwell, 2005: Zevenbergen and Logan, 2008). As a consequence, children and young adolescents are frequently faced with exposure to many controversial issues. What is needed is a safe space for these young people to explore, develop and to express their own values and opinions in relation to current issues enabling them to work towards Global Citizenship (Oxfam, 2006; Tasmanian Curriculum, 2009). In Australia teachers play a vital role in providing learning opportunities to foster the development of communities of philosophical inquiry where students are able to acknowledge the viewpoint of others (Tasmanian Curriculum, 2009). State curriculum details participatory teaching and learning methodologies teaching for resilience and connectedness, empathy increasing student’s chances of developing into productive and affirmed community members and cohesive global citizens (Oxfam, 2006; Tasmanian Curriculum, 2009). One highly publicised topic in Australia that is worthy of philosophical inquiry is that of the plight of refugees (Tasmanian Curriculum, 2009). The literature ** Texts: //Home and Away -// John Marsden and Matt Ottley //My First Ever go at Bomb Dispos//al - Morris Gleitzman
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Both texts embed the reader within the dilemma, confronting students with literature specifically written with participatory methods of placing student both inside and outside of another’s predicament (Blatner, 2006). //Home and Away // is a powerful picture book which places the reader inside the experience of a refugee. It details the disintegration of a once-happy Australian family. When war ravages their (our) once-safe country, they flee as refugees, to a safe, distant land. As in the real-life scenarios of many refugee boat people, there is no happy ending. The genre of problem realism makes it a poignant, confronting and disturbing story for pre-teen and older readers. Told in first person, through 15-year-old Toby, the protagonist, the reader personally experiences a suspenseful, despairing and tragic journey. Set in Australia, the story is no longer about someone else from somewhere else (Hachette). Author and illustrator create powerful visual and word images that draw the reader into feeling empathy.

//My First Ever go at Bomb Disposal // captures the dangers of racial profiling and stereotyping. Ned, on a train journey with his mother, becomes suspicious of a man of middle-eastern appearance and carrying a briefcase. Through dialogue with his mother, Ned expressesr increasing fears the man is a terrorist reaching a climax when the man leaves his briefcase on the train during a short stop. Convinced the briefcase contains a bomb, Ned clumsily grabs it, scattering its contents. The contents infer through photos and newspaper articles that he is a refugee who lost his family in a boat crisis. Ned’s shame and embarrassment at his misjudgement becomes acute when the man offers a gesture of friendship. Gleitzman brings to the forefront current issues about how society marginalises and stereotypes people of a certain race/background. Terrorist events portrayed in the media influence attitudes of judgement against specific ethnic and religious groups. Such stereotyping prevails within Australia and globally. Commonplace in today's media on the reporting of refugees, is the bias use of the denigrating term, illegal immigrants. The product of these conclusions is that we lose sight of important factual information such as the United Nations Charter which legitimises the right of refugees to seek asylum in another country. Teaching students to develop empathy and employ critical thinking skills about complex global issues requires strategies in which students actively participate in areas of philosophical inquiry (Oxfam, 2006; Tasmanian Curriculum, 2009 ). Emphasis is on developing interpersonal skills students require for global citizenship. Some suggested mediums for students to engage in these understandings would be strategies that use role-play, reading, writing, visual literacy and debate as activities to structure the issues of refugees, empathy and global citizenship. **  Strategy 1: Students u se the 'Compare/Contrast' learning strategy before and after reading both texts, then write a description of the characters at the end of //Home and Away.// Compare to the description at the beginning of the story. This writing activity will encourage students to analyse the effects of loss (home, belongings and country) on refugees, and clarify and inform their thinking in preparation for strategies 3, 4, and 5. Strategy 2: "Spot the Refugee" lesson plans (sourced from the UN Refugee Agency - []) use visual literacy to promote empathy for refugees. Humanising refugees, by encouraging students to understand the similarities they share with them, identifying situations where students have felt discomfort and alienation, and examining possible sources of prejudice and stereotyping, will help students respond to refugees with empathy. "Social Justice and Equity. Captions" (Controversial Issues, p. 10) also uses visual images as a stimulus to develop empathy and critical thinking skills. Students are encouraged to respond with questions and reflect on personal feelings.
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Strategy 3: ** //Visual Refugee Debate,// based on "Imaginary Tension Hug" (ref.) unites drama and debate. Students ** prepare for/against arguments sourcing information in texts, and take on various roles (speaker, representative, adjudicator, refugee, tension indicators [teams]). As speakers present, and adjudicators rate the arguments for their strength of conviction, actors out the front dramatise by 'pulling' (acting) the refugees in either direction based on the adjucator's score. Involving the students in role play allows them to focus their imagination, and picture in their mind what it is like to be in the predicament of the refugee. ( p. 1).

Strategy 4: //Create a Symbol//, based on "Symbol Scenes" (ref.) As in the book "Memorial" by Gary Crew, where a tree planted on the return of soldiers symbolises the message "Lest we forget", students create or choose a symbol that, for them, represents their thinking/attitude/feeling/value about an aspect of refugees they feel strongly about.

Strategy 5: Investigate reasons put forward by governments for putting refugees into prison. Use the four corners strategy to have students think about whether they agree or disagree with these, and justify the validity of these reasons. Used in conjunction with, or followed by 'Values Continuum. Exchanging Views' activity (T.C.I. p. 14). These strategies involve students in actively listening, reading and writing and through exchange with other students deepen and critique theirown thinking on the issue of refugees.

 reference:

Morgan, A., & Kennewell, S. (2005). The role of play in the pedagogy of ICT. Education and Information Technologies. 10 (3), 177-188. accessed on 18/1/10 at http://www.springerlink.com.ezproxy.utas.edu.au/content/r403788264q61803/?p=e481ae4bc23544388ce7b5cecf103464&pi=1

Zevenbergen, R. & Logan, H. (2008). Computer use by preschool children: Rethinking practice as digital natives come to preschool. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 33 n1 p37-44