Refugee Journey Map

Overview

Year Group: 4
Class Size: 17
Duration: 60 minutes
Unit: Journeys of Refugees (Lesson 13 of 22)
Key Curriculum Area: English – Reading and Comprehension, Speaking and Listening, Writing (National Curriculum for England)

National Curriculum Links

Reading - Comprehension:
- Y4 (National Curriculum English Program of Study)
  Pupils should be taught to:
- Draw inferences such as inferring characters’ feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions, and justify with evidence (PoS: Reading, 2c).
- Predict what might happen from details stated and implied (PoS: Reading, 2d).
- Retrieve and record information from non-fiction (PoS: Reading, 2h).
Writing - Composition:
- Plan, draft and write by organising paragraphs around a theme (PoS: Writing, 3a).
- Evaluate and edit by proposing changes to vocabulary, grammar and punctuation to enhance effects and clarify meaning (PoS: Writing, 4a,b).
Speaking and Listening:
- Maintain attention and participate actively in collaborative conversations (PoS: Spoken Language, 2a).
- Ask relevant questions to extend their understanding and build vocabulary (PoS: Spoken Language, 2c).
- Use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesising, imagining and exploring ideas (PoS: Spoken Language, 2d).

Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, pupils will be able to:

Identify and sequence key events from a refugee’s journey described in a text.
Express and represent the emotions involved in the journey through visual mapping.
Collaborate to create a structured visual representation (map) linking text comprehension with creativity.
Use new vocabulary linked to emotions and journeys with appropriate reasoning and justification.

Resources

Printed texts about refugee journeys (age-appropriate, previously used in the unit)
Large paper or A3 sheets per group
Colour pencils, markers, crayons
Sticky notes or emoji stickers for emotions
Whiteboard and markers
Reflection worksheets (simple prompts on feelings, events, and map layout)

Lesson Structure

1. Starter (10 minutes)

Revisit previous lessons: Brief class discussion recalling the key points from the refugee journey text studied last session.
Use targeted questioning to prompt recall of important events (e.g., “What was one major challenge the refugee faced?”, “How do you think they felt at that point?”).
Introduce the task for today: “We will create a journey map that shows the refugees' route including what happened and how they felt.”

2. Main Activity: Creating the Refugee Journey Map (40 minutes)

Step 1: Plan and Sequence (10 minutes)

In pairs or small groups (3 pupils), pupils list key events from the text on sticky notes.
Prompt them to place sticky notes in chronological order on their table or wall space.
Teacher circulates, supporting groups in finding and justifying order with reference to the text (linking to reading comprehension objectives).

Step 2: Emotions Exploration (10 minutes)

Using emotion words (e.g., scared, hopeful, tired, relieved), pupils match or write emotions that fit key events.
Introduce emoji stickers or draw faces showing these emotions beside each event on the sticky notes.
Encourage discussion of why each emotion fits using evidence from the text.

Step 3: Visual Map Design (20 minutes)

Pupils transfer their ordered events and associated emotions onto a large paper to create a ‘journey map’.
Encourage varied presentation styles: arrows to show movement, symbols to represent events (e.g., water for crossing a river, homes for leaving), and colour coding emotions.
Pupils add short sentences or labels to clarify key points on the map, fostering writing skills.
Teacher supports with vocabulary choices, sentence formation, and guide groups in clear presentation.

3. Plenary: Gallery Walk and Reflection (10 minutes)

Groups display their journey maps around the room.
Conduct a gallery walk where students observe others’ maps and leave positive sticky note comments or questions.
Gather whole class for brief reflection: “What did you learn about refugee journeys? How did creating the map help you understand the experiences better?”
Emphasise use of vocabulary and comprehension development achieved.

Differentiation

Support: Provide sentence starters for labels and emotion linking (e.g., “At this point, the refugee felt... because...”). Visual emotion cards for EAL and SEN pupils.
Challenge: Encourage advanced pupils to add additional descriptive vocabulary or explore metaphorical elements in the journey map (e.g., storm for danger).
Use peer support within groups to facilitate varying needs.

Assessment

Formative assessment through observation of group discussions and logical ordering of events.
Evaluate journey maps for:
- Accurate sequencing of events from text.
- Appropriateness and justification of emotional labels.
- Use of relevant vocabulary and clear writing.
Use plenary reflections to assess confident use of new vocabulary and understanding of the journey’s emotional impact.

Impact and Cross-Curricular Links

Enhances empathy and emotional literacy through role play and visual storytelling.
Links to PSHE: understanding feelings and resilience.
Supports Art through visual expression.
Reinforces geography with the mapping concept of movement and place.

Teacher's Notes

Encourage creative choices in representation, validating all attempts to visualise complex experiences empathetically.
Scaffold discussions sensitively, respecting the potentially difficult subject matter.
Remind pupils this is about understanding human experiences, not just the ‘facts’ of a journey.
Use this lesson as a springboard for further writing tasks (e.g., diary entries or letters) in following lessons of the unit.

This lesson plan therefore aligns fully to the National Curriculum for England (Year 4 English) by combining comprehension, spoken language, and writing with a creative, meaningful activity that deepens pupils’ understanding of refugee stories.

Teaching Instructions