“Home”, acting out of a poem by Warsan Shire
Duration
90 minutes (two teaching hours)
Age Group
15 - 16
Objectives
Promotion of EU citizenship, EU and democratic values and human rights
Enhancement of empathy outside school (friends, family, strangers
Development of empathic behavior at school
Enhancement of empathy outside school (friends, family, strangers
Development of empathic behavior at school
Needed material
Audio equipment, simple props, copies of the poem for each student
Emotional Intelligence Areas
Self-awareness
Empathy
Internal motivation
Empathy
Internal motivation
Description
“Home” by Warsan Shire, a Kenyan-born Somali poet, describes vividly all the harsh realities of the life of a refugee, someone who has to abandon their home in order to survive. It is inspired by the tragic individual stories that formed part of the European refugee crisis and is a moving documentation of all the hardships they go through in their way to a better future.
“Home” is an excellent starting point for a discussion about several critical issues, such as the refugee crisis, the violation of human rights, xenophobia, violence, belonging, and displacement. It is written in a direct tone that touches the reader and manages to provoke empathy towards those who decide to flee their country and explain in a few stanzas all the suffering and pain they must endure.
NO ONE LEAVES HOME is an activity that takes the poem as a starting point, takes students from a simple reading to a profound understanding of its themes and symbols and then asks students to create their own work of art based on the poem (play, graphic representation, drawings, etc).
“Home” is an excellent starting point for a discussion about several critical issues, such as the refugee crisis, the violation of human rights, xenophobia, violence, belonging, and displacement. It is written in a direct tone that touches the reader and manages to provoke empathy towards those who decide to flee their country and explain in a few stanzas all the suffering and pain they must endure.
NO ONE LEAVES HOME is an activity that takes the poem as a starting point, takes students from a simple reading to a profound understanding of its themes and symbols and then asks students to create their own work of art based on the poem (play, graphic representation, drawings, etc).
Lesson Plan
1. Activating prior knowledge: The teacher can write the word ‘Home’ on the board and let students briefly brainstorm ideas, words, and feelings they come up with based on it, or words they believe they are going to come across while reading the poem.
2. Then, the teacher writes the first line of the poem (No one leaves home unless…) and lets students think and say some of the possible ways to end this sentence. When does someone leave home?
3. The teacher then gives students photocopies of the poem and they read the poem all together, or they watch a video or listen to a reading of the poem online.
4. Ask students to describe their feelings after reading the poem.
5. The teacher can then ask the students to form groups and create their own work of art inspired by the poem or as an answer/reaction to the poem. It can be a series of drawings, a graphic representation of the poem, another poem, a short play or dramatic reading/performance.
2. Then, the teacher writes the first line of the poem (No one leaves home unless…) and lets students think and say some of the possible ways to end this sentence. When does someone leave home?
3. The teacher then gives students photocopies of the poem and they read the poem all together, or they watch a video or listen to a reading of the poem online.
4. Ask students to describe their feelings after reading the poem.
5. The teacher can then ask the students to form groups and create their own work of art inspired by the poem or as an answer/reaction to the poem. It can be a series of drawings, a graphic representation of the poem, another poem, a short play or dramatic reading/performance.
Assessment
For the assessment, there can be a debate after the activity, about what students think of the poem, and can go on to what they have learnt about refugees, violence, displacement and human rights.
The following questions can be asked:
- How did students feel about this activity? Was it more or less difficult than they had first imagined? What were the most difficult aspects, or the most difficult things to represent?
- Did students learn anything new about refugees and human rights?
- Were there similarities and differences in the different representations?
- Did the activity help them learn something new?
The following questions can be asked:
- How did students feel about this activity? Was it more or less difficult than they had first imagined? What were the most difficult aspects, or the most difficult things to represent?
- Did students learn anything new about refugees and human rights?
- Were there similarities and differences in the different representations?
- Did the activity help them learn something new?
Links for further information
Download further documentation
TESTING AND ASSESSMENT