No Option Except Escape: A Role Play on the Struggles of Climate Refugees
Provided by: Zinn Education Project|Published on: May 24, 2024
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Activity - Classroom
Subjects: Civics, Geography
Authors: Zinn Education Project, Rethinking Schools
Region: Africa, Asia, Middle East, South and Central America, Global, Oceania, Oregon, Puerto Rico
Languages: English
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- In this activity, students will role-play to understand climate refugees and the lack of protections for them.
- Students will read a vignette of the climate refugee they will play, participate in a mock convention for refugees, and write from the perspective of their refugee after reading a fictional proposal from the International Summit of Business Leaders regarding climate refugee protection.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- Putting students in the role of a refugee will help them develop a deeper connection to the issue.
- Through the mock convention, students have the opportunity to learn about a variety of issues that force people from all over to escape their homes.
Prerequisites
- Teachers will have to sign in or create an account to access the activity.
- Teachers should be mindful of their classroom demographics, especially mindful of any students who are refugees.
- Students may benefit from having background knowledge about climate change and its impacts.
Differentiation & Implementation
- If students are new to role-playing, teachers may want to model the expectations.
- Teachers can plan strategic groups to ensure students get maximum value out of the activity.
- Students in the "home" group answering questions may benefit from a graphic organizer or cheat sheet to help them answer other students' questions accurately.
This resource provides first-hand insights on what being a climate refugee is like and how real people's lives have changed due to the climate crisis. This resource is well-sourced and is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
