18.40 Lehr-Lernmaterial_ Migration – emigration and immigration_P5
502145-LLP-1-2009-1-DE-COMENIUS-CMP
Miracle – Migrants and Refugees – A Challenge for Learning in European Schools
Teaching unit ZCR SAZU
Name Migration – emigration and immigration
What can emigration (in the past) teach us about today’s immigration?
Introduction Movement of people fifty or forty years ago is not so different from today’s. The
reasons for migration are very similar and conditions under which migrants are accepted in new
countries changed very little. In traditional emigration countries almost every person has a relative or
knows someone that emigrated in the past. And also today’s emigration of compatriots has a lot of
similarities to immigration to the country. With this approach we try to make the pupils sensitive
about hardship today’s immigrants are facing through experiences of their emigrating relatives, or
family friends or compatriots in the past and also nowadays.
Goals Pupils learn about migration, emigration and immigration, what does it mean to leave one’s
homeland, about belonging and integration to host society, in a short role-play they learn how
difficult is to communicate if you do not speak the other’s language. The pupils are encouraged to
develop emphaty.
Target group 5th-9th grade
Time frame 45 min (or 90 min in longer version)
Room Any room
Material pictures of e/immigrants, emigrants’ and immigrants’ stories or statements for pupils to
read, objects connected to migration (passport or other documents, suitcases, personal belongings,
family photography, children’s letters, etc.)
Requirements Questions and explanation of words must be adapted to target group and goals.
Procedure
0. Previously teacher should give pupils assignment to ask parents about relatives and friends that
have emigrated from the country and where they live now. They should collect stories about how
were the emigrants accepted in their new homelands. They talk about the topic in the next lesson.
(see worksheet Family history)
1. Short role-play, work in pairs: one person in pair has come to a foreign country. Other pupil is a
local inhabitant. Pupil-immigrant tries to explain who he/she is and that he/she in looking for a train
station and does not understand the other one. Then they switch roles. Pupils evaluate their feelings
after the activity. (see worksheet Hello! Can you help me?) 10 + 5 minutes
This project has been funded with the support from the European Commission. This publication
reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use
which may be made of the information contained therein.
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18.40 Lehr-Lernmaterial_ Migration – emigration and immigration_P5
502145-LLP-1-2009-1-DE-COMENIUS-CMP
Miracle – Migrants and Refugees – A Challenge for Learning in European Schools
2. Pupils are asked to form small groups (4-5 pupils, depends of the size of the class), where they
work on their stories, i.e. family history (about relatives that live in distant locations, i.e. USA or
Australia, about grandfather who worked in neighbouring countries, like Germany or Austria,
grandmother who was a housekeeper in Italy); if pupils with migration background are in the class
they could tell the story of their or their family’s emigration in the group (it is important that teacher
asks pupils if they are willing to talk beforehand, not in front of the whole class). Pupils collect
information on reasons for emigration, means of transport, time of emigration, feelings, etc. on
separate worksheet. (work in small groups, see worksheet Group work) (alternative: to invite an
older return-migrant to tell about his/her experiences or listen/watch the short recording/film with
the story and then work in small groups; in such case worksheet has to be adapted to the situation).
20 min
3. Pupils are asked to write on the blackboard a list of reasons for emigration, means of transport,
feelings of emigrants and similar as they have learned in the previous activity. If necessary, teacher
gives more information on migration issues (see appendix 1: Recommended literature). 10 min
(for another 45 min)
4. Pupils read out loud children letter(s) (see appendix 2: Migration in the eyes of children) and talk
about their experiences of migration or just being abroad. Teacher asks how pupils felt when they
were in a foreign country.
5. Then the teacher should ask pupils to think about today’s immigration to the country. Pupils work
in groups of 4-5 people where they discuss what they heard and evaluate the material teacher
brought (see the list of material). On working sheets teacher gives them questions (see worksheet
Immigration – questions on immigration) One pupil from each group presents the findings.
Evaluation and feedback Evaluation is part of the several phases of the procedure, see points 1, 4
and 5.
Possible application 1. Topic talking about cultural diversity and intercultural communication
2. Topic history of migration
Variations Variations to material could occur; some short films on migration could be included.
Difficulties that may arise Pupils with migration background could feel frustrated when talking about
their experiences. It is important for the teacher to take notice of these feelings beforehand, to talk
about them and make sure that pupils know it is a voluntary task.
WORKSHEETS:
To point 0: Worksheet - Family history
This project has been funded with the support from the European Commission. This publication
reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use
which may be made of the information contained therein.
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18.40 Lehr-Lernmaterial_ Migration – emigration and immigration_P5
502145-LLP-1-2009-1-DE-COMENIUS-CMP
Miracle – Migrants and Refugees – A Challenge for Learning in European Schools
Instructions to the pupils:
Ask your parents/grandparents or family friends about relatives that left your country. Write a short
story (half a page) containing following information:
1. Who left, when and why?
2. How did they travel?
3. How were they accepted in the new country?
To point 1: Worksheet - Hello! Can you help me?
Procedure: first give one pupil in pair a card for the role-play where these three sentences are
written in foreign language. Be careful to choose a language foreign to all children (next to the three
sentences you have to put the explanations in their own language), then switch roles:
1. Hello, I am new here.
2. I am looking for the
train station. Can you
help me?
1. I don’t understand.
2. What do you need?
3. I cannot help you. I
don’t understand.
3. I don’t understand...
To point 2: Worksheet - Group work
Pupils should find and write down the words in the stories that are related to:
1. reasons for emigration,
2. means of transport,
This project has been funded with the support from the European Commission. This publication
reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use
which may be made of the information contained therein.
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18.40 Lehr-Lernmaterial_ Migration – emigration and immigration_P5
502145-LLP-1-2009-1-DE-COMENIUS-CMP
Miracle – Migrants and Refugees – A Challenge for Learning in European Schools
3. time of emigration,
4. feelings related to emigration,
5. new environment.
To point 5: Worksheet - Immigration – questions on immigration for pupils (work in small groups)
How it is to live outside your hometown, home country?
What did migrants take with them?
How did migrants communicate with relatives that stayed at home?
Where are the similarities, differences between emigration and immigration?
Why are people today leaving and coming to the country? How are they received?
What was the relationship towards emigrants in their new countries (in the past) compared to
relationship towards immigrants to the country (today)?
This project has been funded with the support from the European Commission. This publication
reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use
which may be made of the information contained therein.
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18.40 Lehr-Lernmaterial_ Migration – emigration and immigration_P5
502145-LLP-1-2009-1-DE-COMENIUS-CMP
Miracle – Migrants and Refugees – A Challenge for Learning in European Schools
Appendix 1
Recommended literature
Drnovšek, Marjan, V Ameriko (To America; in Slovenian), Ljubljana: Mladika, 1997.
Bade, Klaus J, Europe on the move (Europa in Bewegung), Muenchen: C. H. Beck, 2000.
Drnovšek, Marjan, Ljubljana. Crossroads on the way to the World. http://isi.zrcsazu.si/files/galerija/ljubljana/ (e-material)
Appendix 2
Migration in the eyes of children: children letters or essays (example)
Emigration from my home-country
th
My father was working in Slovenia more than 20 years. My family decided to live together. It was the 26 of
November 2006 when I left my home-country. I was 14 years old and was in the eighth grade.
The last day in my school in Kosovo was very hard. It was only the last day that I told my friends I was leaving
Kosovo for Slovenia. They didn’t believe me, it was such a surprise for them. The time was running, clock was
ticking, I said farewell to my schoolmates and others. All my friends were crying and I was crying with them.
When we were leaving, my family said that it is going to be hard for me, but I will get used to the situation.
My father came for me to Kosovo and I arrived with him to Slovenia. Here were already my mother and two
brothers waiting for me. They arrived 4 months earlier. We lived in Hrpelje. When I arrived here it seemed so
different to me. I was not familiar with the place. And next day I went to school for the first time. It was so
different from my school in Kosovo. The first day was so hard I will never forget it. Everybody was staring at
me when I entered the classroom. This was the hardest day in my life because I didn’t understand a word.
They were talking to me and I didn’t understand. I returned home and started crying. I am not going to school
I said to my mother, because it is too hard and I don’t speak the language. My mother consoled me that it is
going to be hard at the beginning but in time I will learn the Slovenian language and everything is going to be
all right.
I like the teachers Slovenia very much and also the pupils who were very kind to me the first day. After my
arrival I started learning new things, the things I didn’t know before. I am very happy now. I was lucky to meet
new friends who adapted to me a lot.
B.B. (translated to English; the essay was published in Slovenian and Albanian in the school bulletin Brin, 2009,
Primary school Dragomir Benčič Brkin, Hrpelje, Slovenia)
This project has been funded with the support from the European Commission. This publication
reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use
which may be made of the information contained therein.
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18.40 Lehr-Lernmaterial_ Migration – emigration and immigration_P5
502145-LLP-1-2009-1-DE-COMENIUS-CMP
Miracle – Migrants and Refugees – A Challenge for Learning in European Schools
This project has been funded with the support from the European Commission. This publication
reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use
which may be made of the information contained therein.
6