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Paired Texts > Going to School as a Refugee

by Caroline Garrison

2016

We've identified these texts as great options for text pairings based on similar themes, literary devices, topic, or writing style. Supplement your lesson with one or more of these options and challenge students to compare and contrast the texts. To assign a paired text, click on the text to go to its page and click the "Assign Text" button there.

9th Grade Informational Text 1070L
‘Chasing Memories’ In Their Refugee Camp 40 Years After Fleeing Vietnam
  • Hansi Lo Wang
  • 2015

Vietnamese American refugees who fled communist rule in their home country in the late 20th century reunite at a former processing center.

Pair “‘Chasing Memories’ in Their Refugee Camp 40 Years After Fleeing Vietnam” with “Going to School as a Refugee,” and ask students to compare the experiences described in the two texts. How are the experiences of Burmese refugees today similar to the experiences of Vietnamese refugees in the ‘70s and ‘80s? Based on the information presented, how have the resettlement experiences of refugees in America changed over time?

7th Grade Skill Lesson 650L
The Stolen Party
  • Liliana Heker
  • 1982

In “The Stolen Party,” Liliana Heker tells the story of a girl who is invited to her friend’s party, whose family also employs her mother as their housekeeper.

Pair “The Stolen Party” with “Going to School as a Refugee,” and have students discuss the different backgrounds that Rosaura and Luciana come from, as well as the different backgrounds of SB and Salomon. How does Rosaura and Luciana’s “friendship” differ from that of SB and Salomon? Does one relationship seem more equal than the other? Why or why not? When is it possible for two people from completely different backgrounds to become friends?

8th Grade News 1040L
5 Surprising Facts about the Refugee Crisis
  • Jason Beaubien
  • 2017

In the informational text “5 Surprising Facts about the Refugee Crisis,” Jason Beaubien discusses refugee crises around the world and how countries are responding to them.

Pair “5 Surprising Facts about the Refugee Crisis” with “Going to School as a Refugee,” and ask students to consider the consequences of war. How are the pictures conveyed by the two texts different, even though both are about refugees? How do personal accounts add to students’ understanding of war’s consequences? How do numbers and statistics contribute to that understanding? Why is it important to learn about and consider topics such as refugee crises from both kinds of perspectives?

6th Grade Skill Lesson 790L
Sweet, Difficult Sounds
  • I.M. Desta
  • 2019

In “Sweet Difficult Sounds,” a young girl who immigrated to America from Zimbabwe struggles with confidence as she adjusts to her new school environment.

Pair “Going to School as a Refugee” with “Sweet Difficult Sounds” and ask students to compare the experiences of SB with Nothukula. How do these texts affect your perspective of what foreigners experience in America? What challenges do foreign students face as they enter new schools in America? Based on these texts, where do young foreigners find hope and confidence?