Reflection and Review

Lesson Overview

Unit: Understanding Refugee Experiences (Lesson 6 of 6)
Duration: 45 minutes
Class size: 10 students
Year group: Year 7 (age 11-12)
Subject: History
National Curriculum focus:

Pupils should develop a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as empathy, migration, and community (History Program of Study: KS3 but adapted for Year 7)
Develop an awareness of key themes in history such as migration and conflict
Make connections between past and present
Understand how history shapes contemporary society

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will:

Reflect on what they have learned about refugee experiences through historical and personal perspectives.
Demonstrate understanding of the themes of friendship, empathy, and inclusion.
Create a personal, practical action plan outlining how they can promote kindness and inclusion in their community.
Develop skills in self-assessment and historical empathy in line with National Curriculum aims for KS3, particularly developing historical perspectives and understanding societal impact.

National Curriculum Links

History KS3 Programme of Study (adapted for Year 7):
- Pupils should be taught to:
  - Develop understanding of changes in society through study of migration and refugee experiences.
  - Understand historical concepts such as causation and significance linked to migration and inclusion.
  - Develop the ability to discuss and evaluate empathy and differing perspectives.
Key competencies targeted:
- Historical enquiry and reflection
- Empathy development through historical understanding
- Social and emotional skills: kindness, community spirit, and active citizenship

Resources Needed

Reflection worksheet (prompts about refugee experiences, friendship, empathy)
Large paper and coloured pens for action plan creation
Whiteboard and markers
Sticky notes
‘Empathy thermometer’ poster or chart (to track feelings towards refugees/friendship over time)
Timer

Lesson Structure

1. Starter (5 minutes)

Activity: Empathy Check-In

Ask students to take 1 minute to quietly recall one powerful idea or story about refugees or friendship from the previous lessons.
On sticky notes, each student writes one word or phrase that captures their strongest feeling or thought about refugees or kindness.
Collect and place these on an ‘Empathy thermometer’ chart on the board indicating feelings from “confused” to “compassionate.”
Quickly discuss trends seen (e.g., more movement towards compassion), linking back to National Curriculum aims on empathy and historical understanding.

2. Main Activity Part 1 (15 minutes)

Activity: Guided Reflection

Hand out the reflection worksheet with carefully designed prompts such as:
- What is one thing you understand better about refugees now?
- How have your feelings about people who have to leave their homes changed?
- Think of a time when you showed kindness to someone – how did it make them and you feel?
Students write brief answers, encouraging honest and personal responses.
After writing, students share their reflections in pairs or small groups to encourage peer discussion and reinforce learning.

3. Main Activity Part 2 (15 minutes)

Activity: Personal Action Plan Creation

Explain the task: students will create a plan outlining 3 specific actions they could take to promote kindness, inclusion, or support refugees/people in their community.
Provide examples (e.g., “Invite someone new to sit with me at lunch,” “Learn more about different cultures and share what I find,” “Create a kindness poster for the school noticeboard”).
On large sheets, students write their action plans and decorate with symbols or drawings that reflect positivity and community spirit.
Circulate and support, prompting students to be realistic and thoughtful.

4. Plenary (10 minutes)

Activity: Sharing and Commitment

Students present their action plans to the class.
Celebrate all ideas and encourage applause to build confidence and community spirit.
Finally, each student verbally commits to at least one action from their plan, summarising what they will do in the coming weeks.
Teacher records a couple of outstanding commitments on the board as examples of active citizenship.
To close, revisit the ‘Empathy thermometer’ and ask—have your feelings shifted again? Why?

Assessments

Formative:
- Observation during pair/group reflection discussions
- Review of reflection worksheet responses for depth of understanding and empathy
- Quality and thoughtfulness of personal action plans
Summative:
- Final written reflection showing understanding of refugee experiences and empathy development
- Clear practical actions that demonstrate students applying their historical learning to real-world empathy and inclusion

Differentiation

Provide sentence starters for reflection worksheet for students needing support.
Encourage more detailed, extended writing or artistic elements for more able students.
Pairing students strategically to promote confidence in sharing ideas.
Use of visual aids (e.g., empathy chart) to support different learning styles.

Cross-Curricular Links

PSHE: Promoting kindness, empathy, and community action in personal development and wellbeing.
English: Reflective writing and speaking/presentation skills.
Art: Creative expression through action plan decoration.

Teacher Notes

Create a safe and supportive environment encouraging honest sharing.
Emphasise that every small action counts towards improving community spirit.
After the lesson, consider collating actions/plans and displaying them to inspire others in the school.
This reflective consolidation lesson ideally closes the “Understanding Refugee Experiences” unit with a forward-looking and empowering tone.

This lesson plan ensures students not only consolidate historical learning but develop personal empathy and active citizenship aligned with the National Curriculum’s aims of fostering understanding of people’s experiences and promoting values such as kindness and inclusion.

Teaching Instructions