PRIMARY RESOURCE PACK - UNICEF UK

BACKGROUND READINGFOR TEACHERSThe OutRight 2017 campaign will focuson the rights of unaccompanied refugeechildren – in particular their right toprotection and their right to familyreunification.Right now, refugee children are in realdanger. 50 million children have beenuprooted from their homes, most forcedto flee from violent conflict. Many of themare making dangerous journeys, riskingtheir lives in search of safety and closefamily.Family comes in so many different shapes andforms. What it represents is what counts – love,care, protection, warmth – things that no childshould be without. This is what children aremissing out on when they’re torn apart fromtheir loved ones by circumstances beyond theircontrol, be it war, poverty or conflict.All too often children have lost their parents, beenforced to leave them behind, or found themselvesseparated from them due to the perils of war.They often find themselves alone and at risk ofviolence, abuse and exploitation. What they needis for the UK refugee family reunion law to allowthem to reunite with close family in the UK, fromwherever they are.Under the current law, children have to maketheir own way to Europe to be able to reunitewith older siblings, aunts and uncles, andgrandparents waiting for them in the UK. Childrenfleeing war and persecution shouldn’t haveto make these needless, dangerous and oftendeadly journeys.The Home Secretary has the power to changethe UK Refugee Family Reunion law, and helpto urgently reunite children with their families,where they belong. We’ll be asking your pupils totake action at the end of the learning activities tosupport Unicef UK’s calls on the UK Governmentand help reunite refugee families in the UK.OUTRIGHTSpeak out on children’s rightsWHAT THE UK GOVERNMENTCAN DOThe UK’s refugee laws divide families. Currentlythe UK Government doesn’t recognise a brotheror a grandma as family – at least not if you are arefugee. Under the current laws, children mustreach Europe to be able to reunite with oldersiblings, aunts and uncles, and grandparentswaiting for them in the UK. Children fleeing warand persecution shouldn’t have to make theseneedless, dangerous journeys across land andsea to be with their family in the UK.We are calling on the Home Secretary to fix thefamily reunion laws and help reunite refugeechildren with their family in the UK where theybelong, based on their right to protection and tofamily life:n Article 10 (Family reunification): governmentsmust respond quickly and sympathetically if achild or their parents apply to live together in thesame country. If a child’s family members live indifferent countries the child has the right to visitand keep in contact with them.n Article 22 (Refugee children): if a childis seeking refuge or has refugee status,governments must provide them withappropriate protection and assistance to helpthem enjoy all the rights in the Convention.Governments must help refugee children whoare separated from their parents to be reunitedwith them.If your school took part in OutRight 2016,you’ll see that this year’s campaign is anatural sequel, as Unicef UK continues tocampaign to the government to reuniterefugee children with their family in theUK. This call to action is more crucial nowthan ever – the job is not yet done and thecampaign is not yet over.7

By safely reuniting refugee children with theirclose families in the UK, we can uphold their rightto a family life and protect them from abuse andexploitation.OutRight is inspiring pupils to stand up forthe rights of refugee children and strengthentheir own knowledge and understanding ofchildren’s rights.H OW YOU R PUPILS CANTAK E ACTIONTo find out more about the refugee crisis inEurope, please use our In Search of Safetyschool resources.No one is better placed to champion children’srights than children and young people themselves,which is why it is vital that they are heard by keyFor further information about the UN Conventionon the Rights of the Child, please visit unicef.org.uk/UNICEFs-Work/UN-ConventionS U P P ORTING CHIL DR E NA F F E CTE D B Y THIS TOP I C Unicef / RichThinking about how rights are implementedor violated can evoke strong feelings in bothadults and children. Sharing your feelingsabout the information – for example, that itmade you feel sad or surprised – could help toinitiate a supportive conversation. The stories,videos and photographs may be upsetting, orprompt wider discussions about the treatmentof refugees and asylum seekers.decision-makers at every level of government,and in their school and local community. Pupilscan help protect and promote the rights ofunaccompanied refugee children by askingtheir local MP to call on the Home Secretary toreunite them with their families in the UK, andby raising the profile of the campaign in theirschool and local community. They can also takepart in the creative World Children's Day actionsrecommended in this pack.OutRight empowers children and young peopleto speak out and stand up for their rights andthe rights of other children and young people.On 20 November – World Children’s Day –OUTRIGHTSpeak out on children’s rightsWhen discussing these issues, be sensitive tothe possibility that there may be young peoplein your class who are refugees and may haveexperienced some of these circumstances.Depending on what you know of theirexperiences, this could be an opportunity toacknowledge their achievements in learning asecond language and becoming part of a newcountry.Always review materials beforesharing them with your pupils.8

Unicef / Fields9LEARNING ACTIVITIESI N T R OD U CTIO NThe following learning activities have beencreated to help primary pupils gain a betterunderstanding of the rights of all children,including refugee children, to be together withtheir families. Through the activities led by UnicefUK OutRight Champion Paddington, pupils will:n Develop empathy and understanding of howthe refugee crisis is affecting children and theirfamiliesn Understand how refugee children’s rights toprotection and family life are compromisedn Understand the UK’s family reunion laws andhow they affect refugee childrenn Feel informed and inspired to take action forthe rights of refugee children.OUTRIGHTSpeak out on children’s rightsStarter activities are warm-upactivities designed to introduce theissues of refugees and rights andset a foundation, while the mainactivities are developed to build onone another in a series that developsunderstanding. All activities can beadapted for the learning needs andstyles of your pupils and classroom.

P&Co Ltd./SC 201710STARTER ACTIVITY A:MEET PADDINGTONAIMPREPARATIONPupils are introduced to the concept offamily reunion and begin to think moredeeply about the issue of refugee childrenand family separation.Familiarise yourself with the version of thePaddington story to be shared in the classroom.M AT ER I ALS N EEDEDn Story of Paddington or Paddington film orPaddington summary at the start of this packn Teacher discussion guiden Poster papern Sticky notesOUTRIGHTSpeak out on children’s rightsIf classroom time and resources allow, prepareto show the Paddington film in class, or preparea classroom reading of the Paddington storyby Michael Bond. Alternatively, share thePaddington short summary included in theOutRight introduction.Display a large blank sheet of paper on aclassroom wall or board, where it can remainover the course of the OutRight learningactivities.

STARTER ACTIVITY A:MEET PADDINGTON (CONTD.)WHAT IS CAMPAIGNING?Campaigning, activism, advocacy,influencing, voice, lobbying, protest All of the words above are drawn together bythe theme of ‘change’ and how people canachieve the changes they want to see in theircommunity, their country or across the world.Essentially, campaigning is about helpingto create positive change. It’s about takingspecific and organised actions to bring aboutchange on an issue, and inspiring othersto join your campaign to influence those inpower to act.1. Ask pupils how many of them know the story ofPaddington. Explain that while many may thinkof it as a children's story, there are many deeperlessons to be learned.2. Read the story of Paddington in class, or as aclass activity, watch the Paddington film.3. Have a class discussion using questions fromthe teacher discussion notes. The intention ofthis discussion is to draw out the refugee themefrom the Paddington story with a focus on thetheme of family separation, and making notethat Paddington’s family was his Aunt Lucy andUncle Pastuzo. This is intended to prepare thepupils for the activities they will participate inover the next few weeks.4. Following the class discussion of the Paddingtonstory, ask the class to think of questions thatthey have about child refugees. Pupils can writethese questions on sticky notes and put these onthe poster paper. These can be displayed in theclass over the next weeks and children can addquestions to this poster and remove questionsas they are answered. These questions can beused by the teacher for further discussion andincorporated into appropriate lessons to follow.TEACHER DISCUSSION GUIDE:1. Who was Paddington’s family in Peru? Do weknow where his parents were? How do youthink Paddington felt after the earthquakein Peru when he couldn’t find his Aunt Lucyand Uncle Pastuzo? (Emphasise to pupils thatPaddington’s Aunt Lucy and Uncle Pastuzo werehis family).2. Why did Aunt Lucy put Paddington in thelifeboat alone to go to the UK? How do you thinkshe felt?3. How do you think Paddington felt to leaveeverything that he knew behind and go to a newplace where he had never been and didn’t knowanyone? Have you ever had to move to a newcity or to a new school where you didn’t knowanyone? What were some of the things youwere afraid of or excited about?4. What were some of the dangers Paddingtonfaced being in the lifeboat alone? How long doyou think it took to sail from Peru to the UK? Ifyou were on a boat that long what would youthink about?5. Because of Aunt Lucy and Uncle Pastuzo’sexperience in meeting the explorer, Paddingtongrew up believing that London was a wonderfulplace – but London and the people there weren’texactly like he imagined when he arrived. Whatwere some of the challenges that Paddingtonfaced when he made it to London? What do youthink Paddington was most scared of? (He didn’thave a family, he had to learn many new things,he was all alone, the things he had been taughtabout London weren’t exactly true, he didn’tknow how everyday things worked – like usingthe toilet and brushing your teeth.)6. Can you imagine what Paddington might havefelt like being in the train station alone?7. How do you think Paddington felt when hemet the Brown family? Why do you think Mrs.Brown wanted to help Paddington? Why do youthink Mr. Brown was very nervous about havinga bear in the house?8. What were some of the things that were veryOptional Activity: Ask pupils to draw apicture of Paddington’s family in Peru.Use this activity to emphasise to pupilsthat familie

Paddington discovers an explorer called Montgomery Clyde did undertake an expedition to Peru. The museum taxidermist Millicent Clyde hears about Paddington and determines to add him to her collection. Millicent’s plan to kidnap Paddington fails, but the Browns’ house is left in a terrible mess in the process.