1.1 Civics and Citizenship

Civics and Citizenship: The Journey of a Refugee

        During term 3, students have been learning about refugees, and the experiences they have had during their migration to Australia. Australia is a very multicultural country with people who have come to call Australia home. The students have been delving deeper in to the lives and views of different Australian refugees; their views on Australia, and their journey from where they came from, which varies from year to year according to the Parliament of Australia. 

        Within the Australian Curriculum are the guidelines and outcomes for what students will learn throughout the year. This year in History and Social Sciences, your year 6 children have started learning about what it means to be an Australian citizen. They have been looking at the “shared values of Australian citizenship and the formal rights and responsibilities of Australian citizens”, and as mentioned earlier, the journeys of refugees who found a home in Australia. This unit has and will continue to help the students to operate as active and fully informed citizens. This is a sensitive issue that students need to learn about.

        The first activity the students took part in was one that involved using their imaginations. Students were asked to think back on a time they had to pack up their things (e.g. moving house, going on holiday). They thought about what they packed and how long it took them. Next students had to imagine that they were asked to leave home in a hurry. They are scared, the roads are blocked and the phones and electricity are out. What would they pack now? Where would they go? How would they get there? This is the plight of the refugee and is a perfect activity to help students understand what happens to people in other countries. 

        Students then watched the first 00:01:55 of a Sunrise segment named Great Australian Refugees.

        This segment mentioned the names of a handful of famous Australian refugees. In groups of 2-3 students, they chose one of these people to research. Students found any information they could about their chosen Australian refugee. For example; about lives in their country of origin, their lives in Australia now, and how they got here. In the case of Australia, many refugees arrive by sea.This information was then made into a poster about their chosen person. These posters are available for viewing in our classroom, and a lot of effort has been put into them by the students.

        The next phase was to look at what could happen to refugees should they be turned away from the country they are trying to enter. This was conducted as a group, as aspects of this may have been shocking to the students. Next was to question why governments might decide to turn away refugees, but only looking at the surface issue of terrorism. This was where we left off, and next we will be picking back up there, and using the information to look at why refugees leave their country of origin in the first place.