PLAN
Our target age range :
14-17 years
We wanted to:
Celebrate identity and diversity.
Increase understanding and respect for each other.
Explore and present different life paths and plans to awaken mutual understanding and learn tolerance; to understand backgrounds and increase motivation to explore one's own and others' paths.
Increase understanding and respect for each other.
Explore and present different life paths and plans to awaken mutual understanding and learn tolerance; to understand backgrounds and increase motivation to explore one's own and others' paths.
We chose to:

Use our own personal stories to sensitise and inspire other students.
Share stories with each other.
Talk about heritage, backgrounds and lifepaths.
A courageous student told us of his escape and the way from Syria to Germany. His story became the centre of our activity for other students.
Prepare presentation.
Prepare other activities to become a whole lesson.
Agree on order, timing, who does what and when.
Share stories with each other.
Talk about heritage, backgrounds and lifepaths.
A courageous student told us of his escape and the way from Syria to Germany. His story became the centre of our activity for other students.
Prepare presentation.
Prepare other activities to become a whole lesson.
Agree on order, timing, who does what and when.
DO
What do I need?
World map, presentations created by students
How long does it take?
We planned, prepared and delivered our activity to four classes during the course of one week.
The lesson was 45 minutes in length.
The lesson was 45 minutes in length.
How it works
Show the class a world map with escape route from Syria to Germany marked on it. Talk about countries crossed, problems, flight, migration, reasons for leaving one's home country.
Opportunities and dangers of "Leaving the familiar paths" - one student talking about his journey to Germany made it real.
Introduce the idea of everyone having their own journey in life and having to leave the familiar paths to make progress and reach your goal.
Ask the class to work in pairs/small groups to discuss a question "Which paths are leading to where?" They can talk about backgrounds, opportunities, goals, life plans, ambitions.
Golden rule: Only share what you feel comfortable with sharing and talking about. It is your life and your story.
Opportunities and dangers of "Leaving the familiar paths" - one student talking about his journey to Germany made it real.
Introduce the idea of everyone having their own journey in life and having to leave the familiar paths to make progress and reach your goal.
Ask the class to work in pairs/small groups to discuss a question "Which paths are leading to where?" They can talk about backgrounds, opportunities, goals, life plans, ambitions.
Golden rule: Only share what you feel comfortable with sharing and talking about. It is your life and your story.
REVIEW
How it ends
Students present their ideas of life paths for themselves and the changes that will need to happen to reach their goals.
Imagine the open, tolerant Europe that will help everyone to reach their goal.
What is needed to make this possible?
What will this Europe look like?
Extension Exhibition: Ask teachers, parents and students to collect material such as photos, media articles about migration flows, escape routes, asylum processes and put together an exhibition accessible to the school family for a week in the school foyer. This sensitizes the wider school community to the circumstances of flight and migration, support reflection on behaviour, when in contact with other young people, and also highlight the opportunities open to all.
Imagine the open, tolerant Europe that will help everyone to reach their goal.
What is needed to make this possible?
What will this Europe look like?
Extension Exhibition: Ask teachers, parents and students to collect material such as photos, media articles about migration flows, escape routes, asylum processes and put together an exhibition accessible to the school family for a week in the school foyer. This sensitizes the wider school community to the circumstances of flight and migration, support reflection on behaviour, when in contact with other young people, and also highlight the opportunities open to all.
Always ask your participants for feedback:
- Did they understand the task?
- What did they learn?
- What did they find easy or difficult, why?
- What did the student leaders do well?
- Where can the leaders improve?
- How could the activity be made even better?

Photo by Matteo Paganelli on Unsplash