Literature Focus Units as a Means of Exploring the Refugee Experience
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18533/journal.v6i2.1106Keywords:
Diversity, Focus Unit, Literature, Multicultural, RefugeeAbstract
Changes in the nation’s demographics, a current focus on immigration, and the world’s refugee crisis require educators to explore positive ways to assist students and families in transition. This article suggests using refugee literature to help ease children into the new school environment. Books associated with the refugee theme are organized using the literature focus unit framework. Four specific children’s literature titles are highlighted within the piece; however, the suggested books and activities are provided as a model to assist teachers in gaining new insight into how they can use cross-cultural communication to explore the refugee experience. We propose that through this exemplar unit, teachers can learn about authentic instructional approaches that may help them meet the multicultural needs of a variety of diverse student groups.
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