Political Asylum Teaching Activities Designed especially for college and university classrooms Break the class into small groups and ask each group to develop a list of questions that the film raises. Alternatively, ask some groups to develop discussion questions for a community forum setting, and other groups to develop questions for college and/or high school classrooms. Have the groups report, so as to compare questions for similar or different settings. Ask each student in the class to identify one interesting question that the film raises. Assign students a short writing/research paper, using the question as the basis - or starting point - for the paper. Ask students in your class who are “first-generation” Americans to share some of their families’ experiences in coming to the United States. What motivated their parents to leave one homeland in search of another. Discuss the distinction between the refugees and asylum-seekers who are forced to flee persecution and others who emigrate for other reasons. Assign students to write a 1-2 page “outline” for a short unit on asylum and refugees, suitable for a high school American government or sociology class. Require students to identify, and justify, a few key facts, concepts, values, and questions that they think should comprise the classroom “lesson.” Home | Discussion Questions | Teaching Activities | Web Resources | Books