Lesson video

This unit covers topics such as migration, seeking asylum, leaving home, and being a refugee.

If these are sensitive topics for you, we recommend checking with an adult before starting this lesson or completing the lesson with a trusted adult nearby.

Welcome to today's drama lesson with me, Mrs. Mears.

This is the fourth and final lesson in our topic of migration.

Today, we will be concluding the family's journey and we will be considering their worries and their hopes that they have for their new life.

We will be using talking objects to help us reflect on how far they have come both physically and emotionally.

For today's lesson, you're going to need plenty of space to work in.

So make sure you've got space above your head, to the sides, the floor is clear.

You may also want something to write with, so pen and paper.

And you'll probably need your role on the wall worksheet.

If you don't have access to a printer, don't worry because it's something that you can easily draw.

As you can see, it's simply the outline of a person inside a circle with space all around and inside to write in.

So please pause the video now while you get yourself ready.

Great.

So as you can see, we're going to be doing five activities today, unpacking our bag, exploring our new home, starting school with our role on the wall, doing our telephone call to mum and exploring then and now.

Let's look at the key words.

Our key words for today are physical theatre.

Now physical theatre is when we use and move our bodies to tell a story.

Usually it's when we use our bodies to become an object or scenery.

We're also going to be looking at roll on the wall.

The roll on the wall is the characters outline and it's filled in and surrounded with information about the character.

A migrant is a person who travels from another country to live there.

A refugee is a type of migrant.

A refugee is a person who travels to another country to seek refuge from a dangerous situation in another country.

Now there are a number of types of dangerous situations but refuge is another word for safety.

So when you seek refuge, you're seeking safety.

And the word asylum is the protection that is granted to refugees.

So if you are an asylum seeker, you are someone who is looking for protection.

So I've got a true and false question for you now.

Children have a right to refuge.

Is that true or false? What do you think? Point to the screen now.

Let's see.

Did you say true? Well done if you did.

There is something called the United Nations Conventional Rights of a Child and this outlines all the different rights that children have throughout the world, wherever they are.

It's something really worthwhile looking into at a later date.

So before we begin our lesson today, let's just have a think about what we've done in our previous lessons beforehand.

We started off in our home, exploring it, thinking about all the wonderful things about it.

And then we realised that something dangerous was heading our way.

We looked at that through soundscapes, we also, we wrote some letters, we did some phone calls.

We did all sorts of wonderful activities.

And then we went on the journey itself and we decided to leave our country of origin and to travel to another country.

And that journey was quite dangerous.

And now we are here.

We are in Germany.

So, these are the activities we're going to be taking part in today.

We're going to start with unpacking our bag.

Then we're moving on to exploring our new home.

We're then going to do our role on the wall to start school.

We're going to explore a telephone call to mum and then we're going to explore then and now.

So we're now going to do our activity where we unpack our back.

Get yourself into somewhere comfortable to start unpacking your bag.

Maybe it's sitting on your bed if your bed is nearby, maybe it's on a chair with a table.

Think about whether you want this bag to be something that is real or something that is mind in front of you.

I'm going to do mining, but you might want to have a physical, real bag in front of you.

When you unpack your bag, you going to choose one item only.

You're going to be using your five senses.

And you're going to describe those five senses as you unpack your bag.

You're going to use your memory.

You're also going to be talking about how it creates hope and how it creates regret.

So I'm going to do an example for you.

Oh wow! Look at this photograph.

I haven't seen this for so long.

Oh, it smells really musty and old.

And this is a really crusty on the edges like it's been sun damaged, but it's been in this case for ages.

I wonder, oh look.

There's grandad.

That the day that he sat on that mud pie that I made for him.

I was only three or something.

And he ended up walking around the whole day with a muddy bottom.

It was awful.

Oh look, there's grandma.

Oh, I wish she was still here today.

I really hope that I get to see my granddad and my mom again soon.

And you know what? If we could just reminisce about these wonderful times it would be brilliant.

I do regret that mum couldn't come with me.

It's such a shame.

But still, it's wonderful seeing this picture.

Okay.

Now it's your turn to open your bag and choose one item.

Use your five senses, your memory.

Create some hope, create some regret.

And do your mind of opening your bag.

So please pause the video now whilst you get on with the activity by yourself.

Well done.

So, what felt stronger? The sense of hope or the sense of regret? When you looked at the object that you brought with you, what was stronger in the emotions that you felt? What did you talk about more? Was it the hope or was it the regret? Okay.

We're now going to move on to exploring our new home.

We going into this in a very, very similar way to lesson one if you took part in that one.

But this time we are not in a home that we are used to.

This is a strange new building.

We've only been here for one day.

Okay.

Please get yourself up and into a space because we are going to explore our new room in the same way we did for lesson one.

Okay.

So get up into your space and imagine yourself asleep in this new hotel room that you are staying in.

And as you wake up after a very uncomfortable night sleep, you open your eyes and you suddenly see a room that is not familiar.

This is a hotel room.

Everywhere is white and plain.

There are no pictures on the wall.

It's really quite boring to look at.

Doesn't fill you with any sort of inspiration at all.

Let's go over to that curtain and begin to open it and freeze.

Let's now morph and become the curtains with our bodies at the count of three.

One, two, three.

Think about how you become this curtain, thinking about what sort of curtain it is.

Is it a very clean, blank, boring curtain? Is it an inspiring floral curtain? And what sort of causes is it? And think about the sort of thing that this curtain, this hotel room could hear.

Maybe they hear the sound of silence because there are no children playing in the streets here.

Maybe it is the sound of people pushing trolleys through corridors.

Maybe it's a sound of arguments happening in other rooms. What can you hear in this hotel room that sounds so different and strange to the normal place that you live in? Let's have a go at that.

And I want to hear what you are and what you can hear.

So you're going to say, I am the sort of curtain you are.

I hear, and then tell me what you hear as a thought track in three, two, one.

Brilliant.

And now that's morph back into the person opening the cartons and open those curtains as you let some light in.

Now we can see some lights in our room.

It's time to go and find a mirror.

Let's go and have a look at our faces.

Now decide where in your room the mirror is.

Is it very small mirror? Is it a full body length mirror? Is it just a tiny little area somewhere that you have a slight reflection in? Scotch that mirror and have a look.

And freeze.

And I'd like you to become the mirror.

And this time as you become them, I want you to morph into the version that you can see of yourself in the mirror.

So if you are seeing someone who's really happy to be here in this safe environment, maybe I want to see that reflected.

If you're showing me someone who's really anxious and nervous about the new adventures in this country, I want to see that in your reflection on the count of three.

One, two, three.

And morph into that person, that reflection.

Let's see the facial expressions really clearly.

And now I'd like you in your thought track to tell me what sort of mirror you are and what you can see reflected back at you in three, two, one.

Lovely.

And morph back into the person looking in the mirror.

Okay.

Now it's time to get dressed.

You don't really know where the wardrobe is.

Maybe there's just a drawer where you will find your clothes.

There's not going to be much space.

So grab your clothes.

Maybe they're still in your backpack.

So grab them up.

Look at whatever the clothes are that you want to put on and freeze.

Think about what it is that you've pulled out.

We're in Germany.

Is this country a lot hotter or colder than you're used to? Have a think about that.

I think that this might be a much colder country than I'm used to.

So I'm going to imagine I'm holding a scarf.

Think about what it is you're holding and morph of yourself into it in three, two, one, and freeze.

Okay.

And you're going to just give me your thought track and it's going to be something like, "I am a long thick scarf "and I feel at peace now that I am in a new country.

"I feel at peace now that I can relax "and snuggle up close to my human." So think about what it is you want to say.

I am, sort of object you are and I feel in three, two, one Great.

And morph back.

Okay.

Let's put on the item of clothing, whatever it is.

Okay.

Now, it's time to turn on that television.

So grab your remote control.

Find it wherever it is.

Think about whether it's dusty or clean.

What sort of condition is your hotel room in? And turn on your television.

Freeze midway through turning it on.

We're going to morph into our television set in three, two, one, freeze.

And now I want you to speak as the television.

I am, sort of television you are.

I wonder.

What do you wonder? In three, two, one.

Fantastic.

And morph back.

Great.

So, how do you feel about your new surroundings now? Was there any object that was particularly hopeful? If so, which object was it? And why was that? What was it that made it more hopeful for you? Okay.

We're going to move on now to our third activity.

And this is where we're going to need our role on the wall.

So make sure you've got a pen as well and your role on the wall because we're going to do our starting school activity.

So you're at the school gate now.

You are at your new school.

It's the first day.

And you haven't been in the country very long at all.

Everyone is here, okay? We're about to go in.

We know where go going because you can hear some bells.

There's definitely some bells.

And there are people everywhere speaking German but we don't speak German.

So we don't know what's going on.

But we'll just take a breath because your teachers come and she does this.

So you know you going to follow her into the class.

So I'd like you to kind of, to say goodbye to you dad, okay? And go and follow that teacher in your class.

Breathing, thinking about how you feel as you walk into the class.

And then what I would like you to do is I want you to come and sit where the teacher tells you.

You are alone in this classroom right now.

The teacher has just gone out to go and get all the other children but you're in the class that you need to be.

And this is where I want you to have a little moment, to have a thought track.

Now this is going to start with something like I wonder, I wish, I want.

So have a think about what you might say.

Maybe you say, "I wonder what all the other children will be like." Maybe it's, "I wish that I could have been here for ages.

"It's such a nice school." Maybe it's, "I hope all the other children like me." So think about what it is that you're thinking in this moment and pause the video now while you have a go at saying that.

Okay.

Now that we've done that, I would like you to take your role on the wall, and I'd like you to look inside the person.

And only on the inside of this person I want you to write some words.

And those words will be about how you feel about yourself, okay? So maybe you feel confident or shy.

Maybe you feel nervous or excited.

Maybe you are terrified, maybe you are worried.

So think about all the different feelings.

And there's not just going to be one.

There's going to be a multitude of different feelings that you have about yourself.

And I want you to write them inside the body of the person.

So please pause your video now while you have a go at that.

Okay.

So now the other children are going to enter the classroom.

You are in your chair already as they come running in, okay? They come in and they're smiling and they're laughing and they're full of joy some of them.

They're talking, but you don't understand.

Now the reason you don't understand is because they are speaking in German and we don't speak German.

Okay.

We have not got a clue what it is they're talking about.

And so this is where we enter into a daydream.

And this day dream I would like you to do almost as a conscience ally.

So I'd like you to stand up in a moment and I want you to take a step.

And on each step, you are going to say something as another student in the classroom.

I will give you an example right now.

"That new kid looks really cool.

"I hope they come and play football with us at break." "That new kid looks really interesting.

"I bet they've got a really interesting story to tell." "That new kid doesn't speak German.

"I wonder if they can teach me their own language." "That new kid looks like they don't really know "what's going on.

"I wonder if I can go and help them and be their friend." So think about all the different things in a daydream, a really positive daydream that your character might think about other people saying about them.

And on each step, I would like you to say one of those.

So try and take six steps if possible.

And on each step, tell me something that you want other people to be saying about you.

Pause the video now while you have a go at that.

Brilliant.

So now we're going to continue with your role on the wall.

This time you're writing inside the circle but around the body of the person.

And I want you to put in words that are to do with how you want to be viewed.

Maybe you want to be viewed as cool, as interesting, as exciting.

Maybe you want to be viewed as weird or hip or amazing.

So I think about maybe intelligent.

Think about how you want to be viewed.

Pop all of your words around a person, but inside the circle and the video while you do that now.

Well done.

Okay.

Now let's move on to the time that the teacher is going to introduce us to everyone else in class.

So, first of all, she indicates that you should stand up.

She does something like this.

You're going to stand up and you feel everybody's eyes looking at you.

As she's talking about you in German, you can't understand a word what she's saying but you hear this word, immigrant.

And at that moment, all the children stop and stare at you.

And you see them start to whisper to one another.

Now, you don't speak any German, but you know that immigrant sounds very much like immigrant.

So you know that they are definitely talking about that aspect of you.

So what I would like you to do is to think about the idea of what rumours might be spread about you.

Now some of them might be really quite negative and nasty and some of them might be really positive and kind.

So for example, "I've heard he's really a prince in disguise." "I've heard he can speak 10 languages." "I've heard he's travelled the world "and seen so many different countries.

"I've heard that he's illegal "and shouldn't even be in this country "alone our class." "I've heard all immigrants smell funny "because they come from a different country." So think about what rumours you might hear the children say.

They can be a mixture of kind ones and a mixture of unkind ones.

So I'd like you to come up with four of your own.

Please pause the video now while you have a go at that.

Well done.

Now that we've come up with our rumours, what I want you to do is to add to your role on the wall.

Remember the inside our person, we've got how we feel about ourselves.

And then inside the circle that's how We want other people to feel about us.

And on the upside completely, it's how we are really viewed by other people.

And this will be a mixture of the positive and the negative.

Okay.

So I want you to fill the outside with words about how our character is viewed by others.

Please pause the video now while you have a go at that.

Brilliant.

So where are the similarities? Are there any similarities between how we feel about ourselves and how other people really see us? Are there similarities about how other people see us and how we want to be viewed? Where are the similarities? And also what are the differences.

Ive got another question for you to think about which is, how might the judgement of other people affect the way that we act? So if other people think that we are illegal, might that help us to act in a certain way? In the same way that other people think that we are a genius, you can speak loads of languages, might that impact the way that we act around them as well? Okay.

We're now on our penultimate activity which is our telephone call to mum.

So we're going to start off before we even go into our telephone call.

In the same way we did this with lesson one, we had a telephone call with a friend, but this time it's our mum.

And our mum has been left behind.

We left her behind.

She's in a wheelchair.

She found it much harder to make the journey than us.

But we need to persuade her to either stay where she is or to come and join us.

So I don't need you to think about all the different methods of persuasion that we thought of last time, such as listing the good points as fact.

Maybe listing the fact that she's made it so far, she's safe so far, or maybe it's the fact that the house has burned down and she's got nowhere to be there so she might as well try and come with us.

Think about what it is.

Maybe you want to use fear.

So the fear that if she stays there, she might never see you again.

Or maybe the fear that if she tries to make this journey, she could die and it's just not worth it.

So use the fear that you need to use to help persuade your mum to do one thing or the other.

You might also want to be more future focused.

So really thinking about what happens in the future, being together, being apart and using those words.

So certainty words, will, must, definite, absolute.

So you're going to do a telephone call to mum.

You're going to speak to her.

One of you wants her to leave home, the other one wants her to stay where she is.

You need to persuade mum that you are okay.

That is a really big thing.

Mum is worried about you.

You need her to know that you are okay where you are.

So I'd like you to have a go at this right now.

You're going to create your phone call to your mom using your hands as a phone call, thinking about switching from one character to another.

You're going to persuade her to my great or to stay where she is, okay? It's up to you.

Make that choice and stick with it.

What do you want mum to do? And mom is going to want the opposite.

So you're going to need to use persuasive language, possibly fear, facts and opinions.

You're going to need to find a good ending.

You're either hung up in disagreement.

You'll agree.

Hopefully she will be persuaded to do what you want her to do, or you're going to leave the conversation undecided.

So keep it to three points from each character, okay? So mum will say something and you're going to say something to counteract it back and it will be almost like a tennis match with one view, and then the alternative view coming back straight away.

So please pause the video now to have a go at that, and then resume once you have finished.

Well done.

So how do you feel about the decision that you have to make? How do you feel being apart from her? Do you miss her? Do you want her to come back? Is it a little bit of missing? Is it huge? You're able to speak to her on the phone.

We live in an age of great communication so you're still able to see via video call your mum quite often, but it's not the same as being with her.

How do you feel about being apart from her? Okay.

We're going to move on now to our final activity which is then and now.

We're going to be doing this by using a still image cursor.

So we've been on a great big journey together from one country to another.

Not just the physical journey, but all of the aspects beforehand as well.

So we are going to create a performance using still images telling a little part of each moment of our story.

Now the first one still image we're going to create is being happy at home.

So think about how you can create that still image.

Maybe you're sitting there eating breakfast with your mom, maybe you're getting mum a cuddle, maybe you're playing with your little sister the patty-cake.

I don't know what it is but you need to create a still image where you are shoving that you are happy at home.

You're then going to create another still image where you show how you are now worried at home.

You've heard the news that the disaster is on its way, whether it's a war, a fire, an earthquake, volcanoes, hurricanes, whatever it is.

And you are now worried.

So I need to see that in your facial expressions, your body language and your gestures.

We're then going to have a still image where we see your decision to leave.

Maybe we're going to have the bag on your back.

Think about what it is you're going to show.

We're then going to have a still image showing the dangerous journey.

So maybe you are going to be trapped underneath something or squashed inside somewhere.

So think about how you can use your body language to show that.

Number five, your relief to be safe.

You're finally safe.

And then number six, the hope for the future.

What do you hope for the future? Maybe you're going to show me a praying image.

Maybe you're going to show me you with your family, with your items. So think about that.

I'm going to show you quickly how I would do it.

Happy at home.

Worried at home.

Decision to leave.

Dangerous journey.

Relief to be safe.

Hope for the future.

Now I'd like you to do the same.

You don't need to say what they all are, but that might help you to go from one image to another.

So you're going to create your entire story as a still image sequence.

So create still images, all six of them and move between them.

Consider levels, which has how high or low you are.

Consider your emotion, your facial expression, and your body language.

So the six still images that I want are one, happy at home.

Two, worried at home.

Three, decision to leave.

Four, dangerous journey.

Five, relief to be safe.

And six, hope for the future.

Please pause your video now while you complete your task and resume once you've finished.

Well done everyone.

You have completed that final task.

So let's have a think now.

How did your performance show the physical and the emotional journey that your character has been on? Do you now, that we have done all of our work, do you have more empathy for refugees now that we've completed the unit? Do you feel for them in a way that you might not have felt for them before? Do you feel that you can understand what might have happened in their life and how that might've affected them? Well done everybody.

So we've done all of our activities and you've been brilliant.

Thank you so much for taking part in this whole unit with me.

I've got a question before we end which is, what is the hardest thing about being an immigrant? Maybe it's having to leave your family and friends, maybe it's going on the journey from one country to another, maybe it's having to start a new life all over again.

What's the hardest thing about being an immigrant? If you would like to share any of your work with Oak National, please ask your parents or carers to tag @OakNational and #LearnwithOak.

Well done.

Take care.