Doha Debates curriculum may be used in a variety of ways. Each section will have an associated individual lesson plan.

It is possible to use one lesson plan of your choice, the lesson plan(s) that best fit your timeframe. However, this complete and comprehensive curriculum packet is designed to build on the previous sections and lessons.
The curriculum will focus around engaging students through the following techniques:

1. Active learning
2. Collaborative learning
3. Discussions
4. Increasing student motivation and participation 5. Problem-based learning
5. Use of effective questions
6. Writing assignments

All of the lesson plans have at least one form of student engagement related to the lesson. Content can be tailored to most subjects.

Specific time allotments are outlined on the next page and will be found in each lesson plan within the Learning Plan section. You may use any part of the Learning Plan components.

The following is a timeframe and content overview of the different sections included in this curriculum pack:

Lesson 1 – Refugess – Doha Debates Asks

In classroom: 30 to 45 mins

Outside classroom: 1 day for each activity

Essential questions from Lesson 1

• What do you think when you hear the word “refugee”? “citizen?”
• Should countries have borders?
  Who should be responsible for fixing the global refugee crisis?
• What three things would you take if you were forced to leave home?
• What would you tell a refugee settling in your city?

Lesson 2 – Why we can’t ignore the refugee crisis

In classroom: 30 to 45 mins

Outside classroom: 1 day for each activity

Essential questions from Lesson 2

• How many people are currently displaced worldwide?
• Are displaced people more often children or adults?
• Where do most refugees come from?
• Which countries are refugees going to?
• How many refugees are allowed to resettle?

Lesson 3 – Stories from refugees around the world

In classroom: 1hr 40 mins to 2hr 50 mins and 1 to 2 days

Videos in this lesson/collection may be used individually or as a series within the context of the section.

Essential Questions from Lesson 3:

• What is it like when a person’s parents were once refugees? (You Come From A Family Of Refugees)
• What’s the difference between a refugee and a prisoner? (Manus Island videos)
• Is it possible for people with different backgrounds and beliefs to respect each other enough to communicate? ((Un)divided)
• What is the experience of a young person in a refugee camp? (It Smells Like Sweet Apples)
• What would a city be like if you were to design it for refugees? (Lament for Syria)
• Why is education so vital for children in refugee camps? (Seeking Refuge in Education)
• What issues arise while waiting to enter a country as a refugee? (The Waitlist)
• What are possible ways to incorporate refugees into a new place instead of pushing them away? (Artea)

Lessons 4a to 4c – Speaker Highlights

In classroom: 1hr 5 minutes to 2hrs (per speaker)

Outside classroom: 1 to 2 days+ (per speaker)

Students will watch episodes for each speaker. This section has individual lesson plans for each speaker. Lesson plans follow the same format for each speaker but allow for a deeper analysis of each speaker by focusing on each one individually.

Speakers

• Marc Lamont Hill
• Douglas Murray
• Nick Bostrom

Lesson 5 – The Connector (pages 20-22)

In classroom: 30mins to 45mins plus 1 day

Outside classroom: Variable timeframe at the discretion of the teacher

This lesson ties all previous lessons together.

Essential Questions from Lesson 5:

• What is a Majlis?
• Common themes of topic

Established goal

Students will hear differing views on the refugee crisis based on the video Refugees: Doha Debates Asks

Meaning

Understandings

Students will understand that…

• There is not a single definition for the term “refugee”
• People view the refugee crisis in a variety of ways
• The refugee crisis is not the sole responsibility of the government

Essential questions

• What do you think when you hear the word “refugee”? “citizen”?
• Should countries have borders?
• Who should be responsible for fixing the global refugee crisis?
• What three things would you take if you were forced to leave home?
• What would you tell a refugee settling in your city?

Acquisiton

Students will know…

• Different issues associated with refugees
• Opinions their peers have about refugees

Students will be able to…

• Recognize the personal side of the refugee crisis
• Express how other people see the issues associated with refugees

Engagement

Studens will…

• Understand what other people think about refugees through direct discussion
• Describe the importance to the student of an item to the class

Assessment evidence / Performance tasks

• Oral or written response to the essential questions.
• Explanation of how each students arrives at his or her view.

In Classroom learning

5-10 minutes

Write the word “refugee” on the board and ask students what first comes to mind.

10-15 minutes

Discuss the essential questions in small groups.

10-15 minutes

Discuss the essential questions as a class.

3 minutes

Watch the video Refugees: Doha Debates Asks

5-10 minutes

Focus on the question, “What three things would you take with you if were forced to leave home?” Create a list of what you think other people would choose depending on where the person lives.

Outside of classroom learning (Choose one or more activities)

One day

Ask three to five people outside of the classroom the six essential questions discussed in class. Write each person’s responses to share in class.

Bring one item you would take with you as a refugee. Each students briefly shares the item brought to class.

Established goal

Students will have a basic understanding of the global refugee crisis and key issues based on the video: Why we can’t ignore the refugee crisis.

Meaning

Understandings

Students will understand that…

• Refugee displacement numbers continue to grow
• Refugees often do not travel far from where they leave
• Permanent resettlement of refugees is currently low

Essential questions

• How many people are currently displaced worldwide? How many people per day are displaced?
• Are displaced people more often children or adults? Where do most refugees come from?
• Which countries are refugees going to? How many refugees are allowed to resettle?

Acquisiton

Students will know…

• Key numbers related to refugee movement
• Methods of movement and to which locations

Students will be able to…

• Recognize issues associated with refugee matters
• Express problems related to current displacement

Engagement

Studens will…

• Understand other people’s general knowledge about refugees
• Experience in a minimal way what it is like to be a refugee

Assessment evidence / Performance tasks

• Oral or written response to the essential questions
• Explanation of how each students arrives at his or her view
• Data collection from other people outside of the classroom regarding refugees

In Classroom learning

5 minutes

Watch the Doha debate video: Why we can’t ignore the refugee crisis.

10-15 minutes

Discuss the essential questions in small groups and then as a class or discuss the questions as a class only.

5 minutes

View refugee numbers on UNHCR’s website.

15-20 minutes

Play Against All Odds. This is a game to experience what it is like to be a refugee. Discuss the results. This activity may be completed during the next class meeting.

Outside of classroom learning (Choose one or more activities)

One day

Ask five people outside of the classroom the essential questions. The answers will be brought back to class for evaluation.

30+ minutes

Play Against All Odds. This is a game to experience what it is like to be a refugee. Write out the results of the game and bring the results to class for discussion.

Established goal

Establish a foundation of primary issues that refugees face at different ages and in different settings.

Meaning

Understandings

Students will understand that…

• Refugees face different issues depending on the age of the refugee
• Education is not always provided to all youth in a refugee camp
• Not all people in refugee camp will be from the same town, or even country which may create difficulties within the camp

Essential questions

• Is it possible for people with very different backgrounds and beliefs to respect each other enough to communicate?
• What is the experience of a young person in a refugee camp?
• Why is education so vital for children in refugee camps?
• What is it like when a person’s parents were once refugees?
• What issues arise while waiting to enter a country as a refugee?

Acquisiton

Students will know…

• Key facts about the various conditions found in refugee camps
• Different locations of refugee camps throughout the world

Students will be able to…

• Recognize the conditions found in different refugee camps
• Express how refugees see themselves within the camp setting

Engagement

Studens will…

• Describe the experience of a person with a parent who is or was a refugee.
• Describe the experience of a person 18 or younger who is or was a refugee.

Assessment evidence / Performance tasks

• Students will go through each Doha Debate video and additional problems associated with each video.
• Students will form groups to find additional evidence to each of the videos that will be shown to the whole class. The additional evidence found will be presented to the class either in oral form or through a brief PowerPoint.
• Oral or written response to the essential questions.
• Explanation of how each student arrives at their view.

In Classroom learning

15-30 minutes

Start with essential questions. The questions may be discussed in small group first and then as a whole class.

10-15 minutes

Watch You Come From a Family of Refugees and discuss as a class. Essential Question: What is it like when a person’s parents were once refugees?

10 minutes

Watch Refugees on Manus Island Speak Out and A Message from Manus Island and discuss as a class. Essential Question: What is the difference between being a refugee and a prisoner on Manus?

20-30 minutes

Watch (UN)Divided and discuss as a class. Essential Question: Is it possible for people with very different backgrounds and beliefs to, at minimum, respect each other enough to communicate?

10-15 minutes

Watch It Smells Like Sweet Apples and discuss as a class. Essential Question: What is the experience of a young person in a refugee camp?

5-10 minutes

Watch The Lament of Syria and discuss as a class. Essential Question: What would a city be like if you were designing it for refugees?

5-10 minutes

Watch Seeking Refugee in Education and discuss as a class. Essential Question: Why is education so vital for children in refugee camps?

15-20 minutes

Watch The Waitlist and discuss as a class. Essential Question: What issues arise while waiting to enter a country as a refugee?

10-15 minutes

Watch Artea and discuss as a class. Essential Question: What are possible ways to incorporate refugees into a new place instead of pushing them away?

Outside of classroom learning (Choose one or more activities)

One day+

Interview a young person who has a parent that was a refugee at some point. Create a set of 5 to 7 questions to ask. Write a brief analysis of the collected data.

One day+

Interview a person who is or was a refugee under the age 18 about that person’s experience. Create a set of 5 to 7 questions to ask. Write a brief analysis of the collected data.

Established goal

Demonstrate the reasons why people seek to move to a new location and thus be called a refugee.

Meaning

Understandings

Students will understand that…

• Individuals face numerous challenges as refugees
• Citizenship is often a political tool used by governments
• The majority of people in the US are descendants of immigrants
• Reasons people decide to relocate from one location to another

Essential questions

• What are the social, cultural, economic, and intellectual conditions that led these people to our door?
• How might the trade agreements and exploitive labor practices actively undermine the possibility of prosperity within Mexico?
• How might we address the issue of citizenship?
• Are we all not outsiders in our country?
• What is the role of the media in how we assess others?

Acquisiton

Students will know…

• Key issues surrounding the bias of “outsiders”
• Differing views on how to deal with citizenship

Students will be able to…

• Explain how economics plays into the refugee issue
• Recognize the role media plays in how “outsiders” may be viewed

Engagement

Studens will…

• Learn about how refugees deal with issues associated with being a refugee

Assessment evidence / Performance tasks

• Write a summary of the speaker’s general position on the refugee crisis based on the video and background content
• Group presentation of data found to answer each of the essential questions presented by the speaker

In Classroom learning

15 minutes

Watch the Marc’s Doha Debate presentation and the Speaker Spotlight segment. Make note of key points from these episodes.

5-10 minutes

In small groups discuss what each person drew from the videos as key areas.

10-20 minutes

Discuss each group’s findings as a class.

15-20 minutes

Groups will pick one of the three essential questions from the speaker and find additional data to better understand the question.

Outside of classroom learning (Choose one or more activities)

1 -2 days +

The student may do this assignment individually or in small groups. The objective of this assignment is to talk with one to three people who are or were
refugees. Optimally the refugee will be from the
local community. If that is not possible, there are a wide variety of organizations online to assist. Student(s) will develop a set of five to ten interview questions. The student(s) will analyze the data collected and write a brief synthesis of the data and present it to the class.

About Marc Lamont Hill

Dr. Marc Lamont Hill is currently the host of BET News and a political contributor for CNN. Trained as an anthropologist of education, Dr. Hill holds a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. His research focuses on the intersections between culture, politics, and education in the US and the Middle East.

Since his days as a youth in Philadelphia, Dr. Hill has been a social justice activist and organizer. He is a founding board member of My5th, a non-profit organization devoted to educating youth about their legal rights and responsibilities. He is also a board member and organizer of the Philadelphia Student Union. Dr. Hill also works closely with the ACLU Drug Reform Project, focusing on drug informant policy.

Dr. Hill is the author or co-author of four books: the award-winning Beats, Rhymes, and Classroom Life: Hip-Hop Pedagogy and the Politics of Identity; The Classroom and the Cell: Conversations on Black life in America; the New York Times bestseller Nobody: Casualties of America’s War on The Vulnerable from Ferguson to Flint and Beyond; and Gentrifier. He has also published two edited books: Media, Learning, and Sites of Possibility; and Schooling Hip-Hop: New Directions in Hip-Hop Based Education.

Marc’s key points from Doha Debates

• To talk about refugees as a crisis is to ask the wrong question at the wrong time
• We must consider the trade agreements and exploitive labor practices that actively undermine the possibility of prosperity within Mexico
• Look at the foreign policies in place like Syria that have helped to destabilize the region
• We must address the issue of citizenship
• The nation-state is a relative new way to define the difference between us and them
• We need to reimagine citizenship in new ways We must address our core biases

Established goal

Demonstrate an understanding of the balance between virtue and justice with regard to refugees.

Meaning

Understandings

Students will understand that…

• There are a variety of reasons people become refugees
• It may be helpful to keep refugees closer to the place from where they left
• The importance of creating economic opportunities in the refugee camps

Essential questions

• Who can come and who cannot into a country as a refugee?
• What is the difference between people fleeing for their lives and people fleeing from severe economic deprivation?
• How well do people integrate into new cultures?
• How do we deal with the issue of refugees in the age of social media?
• How do we have a serious and deep debate about refugee issues?
• How do we overcome fatalism?

Acquisiton

Students will know…

• Key ways to work with refugees
• Differing reasons why people decide to leave their home and become refugees in a new place

Students will be able to…

• Explain ways to integrate refugees into the new culture
• Recognize the impact of social media on the possible perception of refugees

Engagement

Studens will…

• Learn where people stand on the issue of refugees

Assessment evidence / Performance tasks

• Write a summary of the speaker’s general position on the refugee crisis based on the video
• Group presentation of data found to answer each of the essential questions presented by the speaker

In Classroom learning

15 minutes

Watch the Douglas’ Doha Debate presentation and the Speaker Spotlight segment. Make note of key points from these episodes.

5-10 minutes

In small groups discuss what each person drew from the videos as key areas.

10-20 minutes

Discuss each group’s findings as a class.

15-20 minutes

Groups will pick one of the three essential questions from the speaker and find additional data to better understand the question.

Outside of classroom learning (Choose one or more activities)

1 -2 days +

Students will form groups of three to four people. Each student in the group will ask 10 people (non-students outside of the school setting) the essential questions from this lesson plan. The data will be gathered, analyzed, and then synthesized into a comprehensive summary of the data results. The results will be presented to the class.

About Douglas Murray

Douglas Murray is an author and journalist based in Britain.

Born in 1979 his first book came out in 2000 while he was an undergraduate at Oxford. Since then he has published three more full-length books – on politics, history and current affairs – as well as shorter works on free speech and defence.

In 2007 he founded the Centre for Social Cohesion (CSC), the first think-tank in Britain to study extremism and terrorism. The CSC subsequently became part of the Henry Jackson Society, where Murray held the position of Associate Director from 2011 to 2018.

Murray has been a contributor to The Spectator since 2000 and has been Associate Editor at the magazine since 2012. He has also written regularly for numerous other outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun, The Evening Standard and The New Criterion. He is a regular contributor to National Review and has been a columnist for Standpoint magazine since its founding.

Douglas’s key points from Doha Debates

• Utopian dreams of a borderless world or being able to stop anyone from coming at all? – Something in the middle is what we should aim for.
• Six things to think about more deeply:

1. The developing world cannot move to the developed world. Who can come and who cannot?
2. What is the difference between people fleeing for their lives and people fleeing from severe economic deprivation?
3. How well do people integrate into new cultures? How do we deal with the issue of refugees in the age of social media?
4. How do we have a serious and deep debate about refugee issues?
5. How do we overcome fatalism?

Established goal

Explain the vital importance of educating refugee youth and the importance of telling a refugee’s true story

Meaning

Understandings

Students will understand that…

• Many refugees have difficulty adjusting to life in refugee camps for a variety of reasons
• Each refugee has a personal story that may go beyond what story the media may tell
• Policy makers should play a role in what happens to refugees in camps around the world

Essential questions

• Would you be able to live in a refugee camp?
• What is it like to first arrive in a refugee camp?
• How might it be possible to help people see a refugee as a story not just a number?
• Why is education so important and necessary for youth in refugee camps?
• Why refugees are often judged in a negative way?

Acquisiton

Students will know…

• Key reasons refugees are seen in a negative way
• Differing ways to help refugees through direct engagement

Students will be able to…

• Express the difficulties of living in a refugee camp
• Recognize the primary reasons education is important for children in refugee camps

Engagement

Studens will…

• Engage with refugees through a direct course of action and resources

Assessment evidence / Performance tasks

• Write a summary of the speaker’s general position on the refugee crisis based on the video
• Group presentation of data found to answer each of the essential questions presented by the speaker

In Classroom learning

15 minutes

Watch the Muzoon’s Doha Debate presentation and the Speaker Spotlight segment. Make note of key points from these episodes.

5-10 minutes

In small groups discuss what each person drew from the videos as key areas.

10-20 minutes

Discuss each group’s findings as a class.

15-20 minutes

Groups will pick one of the three essential questions from the speaker and find additional data to better understand the question.

Outside of classroom learning (Choose one or more activities)

1 -2 days +

Pick one of the following ideas: 8 practical ways to help refugees. Decide which of the ways to help refugees is practical and possible to do. The tasks may be completed by an individual or small group. It is also possible to choose one of the tasks to do as a class. Complete one of the options within a timeframe that fits within the parameters set by the teacher. Each student or group will report back to the class the results. The class will discuss the results if it is a class project.

About Muzoon Almellehan

Muzoon Almellehan is a Syrian refugee and education activist. She has been campaigning for children’s education in emergencies since she was forced to flee Syria in 2013 with her family.

Muzoon started her campaign in Jordan, where she was living as a refugee in camps for three years, including in Za’atari. As part of a UNICEF-supported back-to-school campaign, she first advocated for more girls to go to school and went from tent to tent speaking with parents of children who were at risk of child marriage or early labor.

In 2017, Muzoon became the youngest UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador ever appointed and continues to strongly advocate for the rights of all children to go to school. Muzoon is currently in her first year of university in Newcastle, United Kingdom, where she has been resettled with her family.

Muzoon’s key points from Doha Debates

• Would you be able to live in a refugee camp without things such as electricity or internet?
• The challenges of living in a refugee camp such as sharing a single tent with the family to sharing a kitchen with strangers
• The vital importance of education
• People cannot achieve anything without education People often think of refugees just as numbers, but behind each number is a story
• Why do we judge refugees in a negative way?
• Refugees are in difficult situations because they want to build a better life
• We need to see refugees as individuals

Established goal

• Explain the meaning and role of the Majlis.
• Describe and articulate the connections between differing views on the refugee crisis
• Express the themes discussed by the Connector

Meaning

Understandings

Students will understand that…

• There a variety of views regarding refugees.
• Education is vital for refugees.
• Refugees benefit from not being moved too far from where they originate.

Essential questions

• What are the potential benefits of giving incentives to refugee host communities?
• Is it possible to enable peace building before the conflict breaks out?
• What changes should be made to The 1951 Refugee Convention to better work in the current situation?

Acquisiton

Students will know…

• Key facts about how refugees are viewed within different contexts and setting.
• The importance of resolving conflict before refugees need to move in the first place.

Students will be able to…

• Recognize differing views about refugees.
• Express personal stance regarding the refugee crisis.
• Use research skills to find information to support the student’s view about refugees

Assessment evidence / Performance tasks

• Find data to support one of the three themes discussed by the Connector in groups which will then be presented to the class.
• Write a final paper on where the students stands with regard to the refugee crisis with supporting resources and evidence.

In Classroom learning

5 minutes

Read about the majlis being part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage.

5-10 minutes

Read “How a majlis can open minds and shape our perspectives.”

5-10 minutes

Watch the Connector video. The second half of the full debate may be used to hear additional comments from each presenter.

One day

The class is split into three groups. Each group is given one of the common themes discussed in the Connector video. The group will find information that supports and refutes the specific theme. The three themes are as follows:

1. Giving incentives to communities to host refugees.
2. Enable peace building before conflict breaks out.
3. The 1951 Refugee Convention needs to be reviewed and reworked.

The class will come together to discuss the three common themes based on the information that each group has found. This discussion will follow the majlis format.

15 – 20 minutes

The class may watch additional sections of the full debate to listen to what each speaker talks about during the majlis.

1 day +

Each student will write a final paper on where they now stand on the issue of refugees.