Refugees and migration teaching resources

Use these free teaching materials to promote compassion, informed discussion, and an understanding of the challenges faced by refugees and migrants around the world.

Free teaching resources and lesson plans for Geography, Citizenship and PSHE to help young people challenge assumptions about migrants, asylum seekers and refugees, and to develop mutual respect, empathy and understanding.

 

Get primary and secondary teaching ideas about:

  • what causes people to leave their homes and what their experiences are like
  • the meaning of the terms asylum seekers, migrants and refugees
  • what makes us who we are and how we can understand and celebrate our differences.
     

Empathy plus migration workshop

Book a free Empathy plus migration workshop to help students develop empathy for migrants' moving motives and explore the experience of migration.

Book now

For questions or feedback about these resources, contact us at redcrosseducation@redcross.org.uk.

Refugees and migration teaching resources

Understanding migration and refugees

refugees-walk-along-road

Understanding migration and refugees

Activities to help children and young people develop empathy and understanding. Explore why refugees flee their home and what it is like to arrive somewhere new away from their family. Suitable for primary and secondary school aged students (7 to 18).

View resource

In the news

Conflict in Sudan image 1

Newsthink: Conflict in Sudan

Explore the current crisis in Sudan through a humanitarian lens. Use images to explore the impact the conflict is having on civilians, many of whom have fled their country or are still trying to leave. Suitable for ages 10 to 19.

Newsthink: Conflict in Sudan
A Ukrainian family embraces each other tightly amid the crisis.

Newsthink: Ukraine crisis

Use our Newsthink resource to explore the events in Ukraine through a powerful photo and explore how humanitarian crises affect people. Suitable for ages 11 to 19.

Newsthink: Ukraine crisis
Newsthink_laptop

All newsthink resources

Topical teaching resources exploring the news from a humanitarian perspective. Real-life examples through film clips, photographs and stories linked to the news to prompt discussion and to develop critical thinking and media literacy.

View all newsthink resources

Refugee week

Three women refugees and one man stand together with the leader of a British Red Cross creative workshop for refugees.

Newsthink: Refugee week 2023

Learn about the UK’s annual awareness event – Refugee Week – through a humanitarian lens using this Newsthink resource. Suitable for the top year of Primary and all of Secondary (10-19 years old).

Newsthink: Refugee week 2023
Hands of people who have raised them in the air.

Refugee week 2021: We cannot walk alone

Educate young people on the isolation felt by refugees during the pandemic and how they can help to be more inclusive. Suitable for secondary school aged students (12-18 years old). 

Refugee week 2021: We cannot walk alone
kids-around-table-colouring

All Refugee week resources

Explore our free educational resources for Refugee Week. Engage students with insightful lesson plans and activities that promote understanding and empathy toward refugee experiences.

View all Refugee week resources

Further learning

Woman dances in traditional cultural clothing in front of a crowd.

Identity and belonging

Activities to encourage children and young people to think critically about stigma and migration, and what makes us who we are. Suitable for ages 7 to 14.

Identity and belonging
British Red Cross record sleeve

Refugee journeys: the long road

Engage with refugee stories by listening to songs based on real-life stories of refugees and asylum seekers, from the album The Long Road. Suitable for ages 14 to 19.

Refugee journeys
Refugees and WWII evacuees

Child evacuees in World War II: Why people leave home

Explore what pupils know and think about refugees and kindness, with a speech by a teenage Queen Elizabeth II to evacuees in World War II. Suitable for ages 7 to 11.

Child evacuees in World War II
Image still from the kind place: we are voices intro film.

We are VOICES podcast

We are VOICES is an award-winning, co-produced podcast series made by the VOICES Network.

Listen to the podcast

You might also be interested in...

Smiling woman walks alongside Red Cross volunteers

Humanitarianism and the Red Cross teaching resources

Explore humanitarianism and the British Red Cross with our free lesson plan templates and learning materials, which are ideal for PSHE and Citizenship teachers.

Teach humanitarianism and the Red Cross
Black and white photo of Red Cross medics during the Blitz

International humanitarian law and conflict teaching resources

Free teaching resources and relevant case studies to help students understand international humanitarian law and the effects of conflict.

Teach International Humanitarian Law
Young people in classroom with teacher looking at presenter

Red Cross educator development

Free learning resources to support teacher development and tools for productive classrooms.

Support for teachers