Can we compare the situation of Jewish refugees in the National Socialist period with that of refugees today? This question, subject to heated debate in current discussions around refugees, is at the centre of this module. The objective is not to use the selected sources and pieces of text to find ‘proof’ for or against the thesis proposed in this question. Instead, the intent is for pupils to engage with a range of historical and current causes and examples of refugee movements which demonstrate that people flee their home countries for various, often overlapping reasons and that, today as in the past, they do so in response to the threats and dangers of war, violence, starvation or the lack of a meaningful future for them in their home country. Are those who help refugees to escape heroes or profiteers, good Samaritans or people smugglers? The module will ask pupils to discuss this question using the examples of two people who helped Jews to escape during the National Socialist era, evaluating their actions. Pupils will also attempt to put themselves in the place of someone helping refugees to escape today and explore their motives. What role do statistics and online forums play in shaping people’s views on taking in refugees? In order to examine this question, pupils will analyse tweets responding to the results of a survey conducted in July 1938 on allowing Jewish refugees into the US and republished shortly after the terror attacks in Paris in November 2015.
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Objective
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Presentation and knowledge checking |
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Objective
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Discussion |
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Conclusion |
Learning expectations
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Phase | Content | Type of activity | Media, Material |
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Introduction |
Objective
Preparation
Execution
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Main section |
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Discussion |
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Conclusion |
The teacher gives the pupils an outline of the UN Global Compact for Migration as an attempt an international solution to the migration crisis. |
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