Lesson 3: Mustafa – Story of a Syrian Child Refugee (For Primary Students)
© UNICEF/UN014896/Chop Shop and Gilles and Cecilie Studio
Time
30 mins
Teaching Resources
PowerPoint
Video: youtu.be/wjDfVI2tQRE
Worksheet: Child refugees’ thoughts (Attachment 1)
Worksheet: Child refugees’ future (Attachment 2)
Background Reading
Children in Crises: The
Syria Crisis and the
Refugee Crisis in Europe
(Teacher Handouts)
Learning Objectives
Knowledge:
(1) Analyze the difficulties, feelings and needs of child refugees from first-person perspective
(2) Understand how the NGOs, United Nations and individual can help the child refugees
Attitude:
Skill:
(3) Cultivate empathy, respect and understand
(5) Able to put into others’ shoes
others’ needs
(6) Communication and collaboration
(4) Believe that every action can make changes
Curriculum Link
General Studies (P4-6): A Global Perspective: Introduction to Common Issues of Concern
Moral and Civic Education
Lesson Plan
Time
Activities
5
Introduction activity: Screening ‘Mustafa goes for a
mins walk’

Activity 1: Child refugees’ thoughts
10
mins
Activity 2: Child refugees’ future


5
mins
Students analyze the difficulties, feelings and needs of child
refugees from a first-person perspective and thereby cultivating
empathy
Through creative painting, students understand the past, present
and future are interrelated
Students are also encouraged to bring a different future for the
refugee children through practical action
Understand how different actions from organization
and individuals can help child refugees


Objectives
(1)
PPT (slide 6-8)
Attachment 1
(1), (3), (5),
(6)
PPT (slide 9-10)
Attachment 2
(2), (3), (4),
(6)
PPT (slide 11-19)
(2)
Through watching video, students learn about the hidden stories
of child refugees
10
mins

Resources
PPT(slide 4-5)
Video
Conclude the lesson
Briefly introduce different organizations as well as individual
actions that can help child refugees
1
Introduction activity: Screening ‘Mustafa goes for a walk’ (5 mins)
Objective:
Through watching video, students learn about the hidden stories of child refugees.
Resources: PowerPoint(slide 4-5), Video: Mustafa goes for a walk (youtu.be/wjDfVI2tQRE)
Rundown:
1. Guiding question:
Before watching the video, teachers can invite students
to share their views for knowledge consolidation:
 What are the difficulties that child refugees
might face?
 How do they feel and what do they need?
2. First, teacher instructs students to note Mustafa’s
difficulties, feelings and needs, and then starts the
video
The video ‘Mustafa goes for a walk’
conveys a child refugee’s true story
in the form of a cartoon.
3. Introduce Mustafa and his background.
Activity 1: Child refugees’ thoughts (10 mins)
Objective:
Students analyze the difficulties, feelings and needs of child refugees from a
first-person perspective and thereby cultivating empathy.
Resources: PowerPoint (slide 6-8), worksheet: Child refugee’s thoughts (attachment 1)
Rundown:
1. Students work in pairs, teacher distributes Worksheet: Child refugee’s thoughts (Attachment 1)
to each pair, asks students to put themselves in Mustafa’s position and think about his
difficulties, feelings and needs.
2. Group discussion: Brainstorm and discuss the difficulties, feelings and needs of Mustafa. Write
them on the worksheet.
Instructions:
 Write the difficulties that Mustafa faces around the character
(Suggested answer: war/ family members joining the army/ losing family/ throwing his toys
away/ hunger/ language barrier/ losing friends)
 Write Mustafa’s needs on the character
(Suggested answer: ending the war and returning home/ family reunion/ food/ rights to
play/ learning foreign languages/ making friends)
 Draw Mustafa’s emotions on the character’s face to show his feelings
(Free answer from students)
3. Group sharing: Teacher invites 2-3 groups to share on the following topics:
 Is Mustafa’s face you drew happy or sad?
 What happened to him? What difficulties did he encounter?
 What does he need?
 Who can help Mustafa?
4. Debrief: Teacher tells students that there are about 2.4 million Syrian child refugees who have
similar difficulties and needs, and asks ‘If you can change Mustafa’s future, what will I like?’,
hence link to Activity 2: child refugees’ future.
2
Activity 2: Child refugees’ future (10 mins)
Objective:

Through creative painting, students understand the past, present and future

are interrelated.
Students are also encouraged to bring a different future for the refugee children
through practical action.
Resources: PowerPoint (slide 9-10), Worksheet: Child refugee’s future (attachment 2)
Rundown:
1. Teacher distributes Worksheet: Child refugee’s future (Attachment 2).
2. Students review Mustafa’s difficulties, feelings and needs written on Worksheet: Child refugee’s
thoughts (Attachment 1), then read Attachment 2: Mustafa’s present and past (p.5).
3. Asks students to draw their vision of an ideal future for Mustafa (5 mins).
4. Group sharing: teacher invites 2-3 groups to share on the following topics:
 What is your vision of an ideal future for Mustafa?
(Free answer from students)

Which organizations or individuals can support to achieve this future?
a. United Nations
(Suggested answer: negotiate with various parties to sign the ceasefire
agreement/ coordinate parties at the negotiation table)
b. International Humanitarian NGOs
(Suggested answer: provide basic needs like temporary shelters, food, clean
water, clothes and medical treatment/ assist refugees in applying for asylum/
support child refugees to reunify with their family members/ provide learning
opportunities for child refugees)
c. European citizens
(Suggested answer: treat them with no bias/ understand the difficulties and needs
of child refugees/ donate/ become volunteers)

What can you do to achieve this future?
(Suggested answer: Understand the child refugee issue and share the latest updates
to others/ welcome new schoolmates who are from other countries/ organize
donations for child refugees in school)
5. Debrief: Teacher elaborates how different organizations and individuals help refugees to
overcome their difficulties and support their needs. Teacher can also encourage students keep
themselves updated with the latest news on child refugee and proactively respond in positive
ways (refer to PowerPoint).
3
Worksheet: Child refugees’ thoughts (Attachment 1)
Discuss the following questions within your group and write your thoughts as instructed below.
1. Put yourself into Mustafa’s shoes and think about:
 How would you feel when faced a series of difficulties?
 What do you need?
Difficulties
(Write around
the character)
Feelings
(Draw an
emotion)
Needs
(Write on the character)
4
Worksheet: Child refugees’ future (Attachment 2)
Mustafa’s past and present
(1) Mustafa also once had a happy family.
(2) But the war forced him to separate
from his family.
(3) The fleeing journey was very long, he had
to give up his favorite toys.
(4) Mustafa finally arrived at the refugee
camps. However, he did not understand
their language and had no idea who to
make friends with.
5
Mustafa’s future
1. Review and write down Mustafa’s difficulties, feelings and needs on the
Worksheet: Child refugee’s thoughts (Attachment 1). Then, read
Mustafa’s present and past on last page.
2. Use your creativity to draw an ideal future for Mustafa.
My vision of an ideal future for Mustafa…
Describe your drawings:
1. Which organizations or individuals can support to achieve this future?
2. What can you do to achieve this future?
6