Name: Jenneca Graber-Grace Lesson Topic: Forced Migration

Content Area: AP Human Geography Grade Level(s): 11-12th

Lesson Content

Background Information/ Relevance/ Context/ Rationale (Purpose)

This lesson takes place in the middle of our unit on population and migration - the second unit in AP Human
Geography. Students have already learned about the Demographic Transition Model and push pull factors for
voluntary migration. Now, we introduce the concept of forced migration through a lesson on the Refugee Crisis,
internally displaced people, and asylum seekers. The purpose of this lesson is to help students understand that
there are innumerable reasons why someone might leave their country of origin, many of which are out of an
individual’s control. I want students to understand three different classifications of people facing exile either
internally or externally and how they handle their situations in a given context.

It is possible that this lesson will take two class periods, or at least more than one.

Relevant AP Human Geography Framework –

Population & Migration Unit - Essential Understanding C. Causes and consequences of migration are influenced
by cultural, demographic, economic, environmental, and political factors.

Learning Targets
As a result of this lesson, students will…
...understand that there are innumerable reasons why someone might leave their country of origin, many of
which are out of an individual’s control. (1)
...be able to apply the concepts of forced and voluntary migration to historical and contemporary examples. (2)
...be able to identify and explain why some regions of the world experience high and low net migration rates. (3)
...know that forced migrations include those involving refugees, internally displaced people, and asylum seekers,
and they will also know the differences between those three groups of people. (4)

Assessments: – How will you know if students have met/made progress towards the learning targets? Be sure
these assessments are integrated throughout the procedures and steps in the lesson outlined below.

Diagnostic Formative Summative

Method of assessment: geo-
inquiry discussion
Aligned with Learning Target 1
Criteria for assessment:
thoughtful participation
data will be used to determine
what to place emphasis on
throughout lesson.
Method of assessment: venn
diagram
Aligned with Learning Target 4
Criteria for assessment: complete
w relevant connections and
distinctions
data will be used to determine
what to students are grasping/
struggling to grasp
Method of assessment: students present
one refugee’s journey to the class
Criteria for assessment: one thing the
student found surprising, interesting,
troubling
data will be used to determine how
students have processed what it means to
be a refugee/ what they put emphasis on
Proactive Planning for Learning Differences: – There are several students in the class who tend to share out
more than others, while I know that other students would like to share. I will allow more wait time for other
students to raise their hands and answer instead of immediately calling on the students who always volunteer.
Procedures/Steps in the Lesson: (75 minute block)
1. GeoInquiry - Migration on the Move (13 min)
a. Students follow the “Migration on the Move” Doc while navigating an online map to learn about
the island of Lampedusa and why it serves an important point of entry into Western Europe in
the context of migration.
2. Venn Diagram Breakdown Comparison (10 min)
a. Pull up the google slides and begin with saying “We’ve been looking a lot at push and pull
factors that cause people to migrate, but now we’re going to shift into looking more at forced
migration. Specifically, today we are going to invest
b. Distribute the Venn Diagram note sheet and ask students to note connections and distinctions
amongst the three.
c. Show “What are refugees and internally displaced persons?” video (2 min)
d. Distribute Key Terms sheet to help students complete the venn diagram and review each term
with the class. Make sure that students understand the difference between a refugee, an
internally displaced person, and a asylum seeker. Review what it means for a person to apply
for asylum. Collect the venn diagram as a formative assessment to check for understanding.
3. Big C Context - Mapping the Global Crisis (18 min)
a. Explain to students that in order to better understand the scope of the crisis, they are going to
pair up to analyze data on refugees and IDPs and then map the information. Give each student
a copy of Refugee and IDP Data—2016 and Mapping the Global Crisis. Instruct students to read
through the data handout on their own. Next, guide the class through the instructions for
shading in the map on the Mapping the Global Crisis handout.
b. After the class has completed the exercise, ask students to reflect on what they have mapped
and read. Were they surprised by any of the data? Which numbers were the most striking? How
does the data compare to what they expected to see?
c. Ask students about the countries they shaded. What do students know about the current
situation in countries that are the greatest sources of refugees and IDPs, such as Syria,
Afghanistan, Colombia, and Iraq? Why might such large numbers of people be leaving their
homes in these places?
d. Ask students about the top host countries and countries with the most asylum applications.
Why might refugees go to these countries? Encourage students to look at the location of these
countries on the map. How does location affect where refugees go? What might be other reasons
that so many refugees end up in these countries? What responsibility do these countries have for
protecting refugees?
4. Little c context - Mapping one Refugee’s Journey (18 min)
a. Explain to students that in order to learn more about the current refugee crisis, they will read
the account of one refugee and then map his or her journey. Break the class into small groups or
pairs. Assign one refugee story per group, and give each student their own copy of Mapping One
Refugee’s Journey and Refugee Stories.
b. Ask students to follow the instructions on the handouts—they should begin by reading the story.
Review any vocabulary that students have identified as challenging. Have students fill out the
organizer and then complete the map exercise. Tell students that they will be sharing their
stories and maps with the class.
 c. The map exercise designates specific tasks, but also asks students to use creativity to illustrate
aspects of their refugee’s journey that they think are important. This could include drawing a
picture, using an image, or adding text to the map. Instead of using the paper map included in
the worksheet, students will be drawing on large laminated maps w/ dry erase markers so they
can (1) work with something other than paper or a computer and (2) more easily share the map
with classmates.
5. Class Discussion w/ Graphic Organizer (10)
a. Ask groups to briefly summarize each refugee story for their classmates. You may also wish to
have each group present its map to the class.
b. What did students learn about each refugee? What were some of the reasons people gave for
leaving their countries of origin? After hearing a few answers to these questions, ask students if
any of the refugees’ stories had similarities. How did experiences differ? Were students
surprised by anything that they read? What challenges did the refugees face during their
journeys, and how did they respond? Who or what organizations or governments have they
turned to for aid? How did those organizations and governments respond?
c. Who do students think should be responsible for helping refugees? What do students think that
people, organizations, and governments should do? What role do students think that the United
States should play? Did hearing refugees’ stories shape students’ opinions about the refugee
crisis? If so, how?
Materials/ Supplies/ Sources/ Digital and Interactive Instructional Technology:

GeoInquiry: Migration, on the Move

Map URL: http://esriurl.com/humanGeoInquiry8

Google Slides: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1m-

bm4XLj8QLD9Gk0P64OJW9BExZvLcE5AHS7850jft8/edit?usp=sharing

“What are refugees and internally displaced persons?” video

68 copies venn diagram - Venn Diagram

68 copies Handout – Key Terms

68 copies Handout – Refugee and IDP Data—2016

68 copies Handout – Mapping the Global Crisis

68 copies Handout – Mapping One Refugee’s Journey (don’t print map page)

23 students, groups of 2, 11 refugee stories copies Handout (cut)– Refugee Stories 1 , Refugee Stories 2

This lesson is adapted from http://www.choices.edu/teaching-news-lesson/refugee-stories-mapping-crisis/

With some information from https://www.concernusa.org/story/refugee-migrant-idp-whats-the-difference/