Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

40 minutes – Part A: Shabnam’s Story
10 minutes – Part B: Taking Action
10 minutes – Reflection

Part A – Shabnam’s Story

Step 1.

Provide students with the Student Worksheet. Explain to students that they are going to be completing this worksheet over the next 40 minutes. Students will be working through the Student Worksheet in pairs as they listen to you narrate a script.

Note: The script for this entire activity can be downloaded here or you can read the prompts directly from this Teacher Worksheet.

Now, encourage students to form pairs based on students sitting next to each other.

Step 2.

Begin the activity by narrating the following script:

“This exercise involves each pair engaging with seven real scenarios experienced by Shabnam, a 24-year old Hazara woman from a town near the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan, who arrived in Australia as a 14-year-old refugee in 2009. For the sake of this exercise, you will be stepping into the shoes of Shabnam, and trying to imagine yourself as a newly arrived refugee, trying to build a new life in Australia. Throughout the exercise, remember that Shabnam was about your age when she arrived in Australia.”

If needed, bring up a Google map of the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan, then zoom out to be able to see its proximity to Australia.

Step 3.

Now, introduce the scenarios by continuing to narrate the following:

“You grew up in a town in Pakistan, near the border with Afghanistan. You and your family are Hazaras, an ethnic minority that is ill-treated and subject to hostility. Recently your area became very unsafe, and your family and community began to fear for their lives. You and your family were forced to escape your home and come to Australia as refugees. You are 14 years old."

Step 4.

Explain to students that they are now starting a scenario which focuses on the challenge of making friends at a new high school. Narrate the following:

"It’s time to start at your new school in a suburb outside of the CBD. You have been placed in a class with other classmates who speak English as a second language. You are excited to make friends, but you are a little insecure about your English. Your accent is different from your classmates', and you’re worried about being teased or excluded. What do you do?

OPTION 1 – Build up the courage to introduce yourself to a group of classmates at lunchtime.
OPTION 2 – Wait to see if anyone will come over and welcome you. You don’t feel comfortable enough to approach them.”

Invite students to take 2 minutes to answer Question 1 (A and B) on the Student Worksheet.

Step 5.

Now, show students a clip of Shabnam speaking about her first day at her new high school:

Shabnam speaking about her first day at her new high school (https://vimeo.com/291442074/3b10a85d73)

After the clip has finished, narrate the following:

“Almost all of the states and territories in Australia make education compulsory for all school-aged children, regardless of refugee or asylum seeker status. However, for refugees and people seeking asylum, school fees and other costs such as books and uniforms can be expensive. Many states and territories do not make it clear in the relevant legislation whether refugees are eligible for fee-waivers or funding. This can be frustrating and stressful for refugees and people seeking asylum and can be a practical barrier for children to access public education.”

Source: Liberty Victoria Rights Advocacy Project report “States of Refuge: Access to Health, Housing and Education for People Seeking Asylum and Refugees in Australia”.

Step 6.

Now show students a clip of Shabnam, speaking about adapting to the new ‘normal’:

Shabnam speaking about adapting to the new ‘normal’ (https://vimeo.com/291625970/c4d783111b)

Continue the scenario and narrate the following script:

“Being the new student in a school can be hard. Which of the following three obstacles do you think you would face when trying to make new friends?

You have a different accent to the other kids. You’re worried that they won’t understand you.
Body language cues are very different here to what you’re used to back home. You think you might be misunderstood.
You don’t know the local slang. You’re concerned that you won’t know the right thing to say.”

Invite students to take 2 minutes to answer Question 2 (A and B) on the Student Worksheet.

Step 7.

Show students a clip of Shabnam, speaking about making friends at school:

Shabnam speaking about making friends at school (https://vimeo.com/291626136/a427c95975)

Explain to students that they are now starting the second scenario, which focuses on navigating new family responsibilities.

Now, narrate the following script:

“You have now been in Australia for a few months. Your whole year level is starting to get excited about an upcoming school camp. This could be a great opportunity to deepen some friendships. The camp will cost $250, and you feel guilty asking your parents for the money. You know they are under some pressure financially and have already made a lot of sacrifices for you. Which of the two following options would you take:

OPTION 1 – Give your parents the consent forms but tell them it’s no big deal if you don’t go.
OPTION 2 – Protect your parents from the shame of not having enough money to send you to camp. Don’t bring the consent forms home.”

Invite students to answer Question 3 on the student worksheet, allocating 2 minutes.

Step 8.

Once the students have completed their responses, narrate the following outcome:

“In the end, you didn’t want to burden your parents. You don’t even bring the consent forms home.”

Step 9.

Show students a clip of Shabnam, speaking about not wanting to be a burden on her parents:

Shabnam speaking about not wanting to be a burden on her parents (https://vimeo.com/291626280/acf2773bb1)

After the clip has finished, narrate the following:

“Some refugees arrive in Australia with a comfortable financial situation. However, many refugees and people seeking asylum arrive in Australia with few financial resources and often have to rebuild their lives with little money. Status Resolution Support Services (SRSS) is the program that supports vulnerable migrants who are waiting for the government’s decision on a visa application, including people seeking asylum. However, the number of people eligible for this support has been reduced significantly in recent years.”

Source: https://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/getfacts/seekingsafety/asylum/srss/

Step 10.

Show students a clip of Shabnam, speaking about her parents not being able to pursue their chosen careers and passions:

Shabnam speaking about her parents not being able to pursue their chosen careers and passions (https://vimeo.com/291627608/b459ad2aa9)

After the clip has finished, narrate the following:

“Newly arrived refugees face significant barriers to finding work. In 2017, a Centre for Policy Development report found that long-term, less than 50% of skilled and qualified refugees find work in their area of expertise and experience.”

Source: Centre for Policy Development report, Settling Better: Reforming refugee employment and settlement services

Step 11.

Explain to students that they are now starting the third scenario, which focuses on Shabnam’s new home, new language, and new responsibilities.

Begin this scenario by narrating the following script:

“Someone in your class has asked if you want to come over to their house after school. You want to go. You think you might have a lot in common. But tonight, your mum and dad have asked you to stay home. They don’t speak much English and need your help to book a medical appointment over the phone and to speak to the phone company about an unpaid bill. Which of the following two options would you take:

OPTION 1 – Tell your parents you will help them another night. Tonight is your first chance to make a new friend in Australia. It’s important!
OPTION 2 – Tell your friend that you can’t come over. Stay home and help your parents."

Invite students to answer Question 4 (A and B) on the Student Worksheet, allocating 2 minutes.

Step 12.

Once the students have completed their responses, narrate the following outcome:

“Unfortunately, you have family responsibilities that most of your classmates don’t have. You make up an excuse about why you can’t come over tonight.”

Step 13.

Show students a clip of Shabnam, speaking about being the family interpreter:

Shabnam speaking about her being the family interpreter (https://vimeo.com/291627787/a35048b44a)

Now, narrate the following script:

“You have arrived in Australia and your English is limited. Which of the following parts of your life do you think would be most impacted by this?

Finding a part-time job
Making friends
Assimilating into Australian culture
Booking and getting to appointments."

Invite students to answer Question 5 on the Student Worksheet, allocating 2 minutes.

Step 14.

Once the students have completed their responses, narrate the following outcome:

“There are many basic things you need to do in your first few weeks, not only for yourself but also for your parents, whose English is not as good as yours. Many of these tasks are things your parents would usually be helping you with. Now the roles are reversed. It’s very daunting.”

Step 15.

Now show students a clip of Shabnam, speaking about the struggle with the language for her parents:

Shabnam speaking about the struggle with the language for her parents (https://vimeo.com/291627833/52eb75eb45)

After the clip has finished, narrate the following:

“The information that refugees and people seeking asylum need in order to know their rights is often difficult to find or understand. Sometimes the information itself is not easy to find because it is contained in a government policy that is not publicly available. Other times, the information available online is not up to date. These obstacles make it difficult for people seeking asylum and refugees to have a clear picture about what rights they have and how to access the services they need.”

Source: Liberty Victoria Rights Advocacy Project report “States of Refuge: Access to Health, Housing and Education for People Seeking Asylum and Refugees in Australia"

Step 16.

Explain to students that they are now starting the fourth scenario, which focuses on finding a place to live.

To begin this scenario narrate the following script:

“You have arrived in Australia and your family is linked in with the local Hazara community, who help you to find short-term housing for the first few weeks. But your family needs to find a longer-term housing solution. Which of the following two options would you select?

OPTION 1 – Rent an apartment or small house near the city or in any suburb that you can afford
OPTION 2 – Rent an apartment or small house close to the local Hazara community"

Invite students to answer Question 6 on the student worksheet, allocating 2 minutes.

Step 17.

Once the students have completed their responses, narrate the following outcome:

“For those who chose Option 1, you have only just arrived, so it will be very difficult to afford the rent. Even if you could afford it, it is very hard to prove to anyone that you would be a trustworthy tenant. You don’t know anyone in Australia, so you don’t have anyone who can give you a positive reference. For those who chose Option 2, living close to your community makes you feel safe and understood. Your community support each other, which makes starting a new life in Australia a little easier. It is also a little easier to find a rental property here because it is further away from the city.”

Now show students a video of Shabnam, speaking about the Hazara community in Australia:

Shabnam speaking about the Hazara community in Australia (https://vimeo.com/291627864/6b4b3952af)

Step 18.

Explain to students that they are now starting the fifth scenario, which focuses on creating a home.

To begin this scenario, narrate the following script:

“You have found a place to live. But how will you set up your house? What do you think a ‘home’ should look like? On your Student Worksheet under Question 7, draw a sketch of your home in Australia.”

Invite students to answer Question 7 on the Student Worksheet, allocating 2 minutes.

Once the students have completed their responses, narrate the following outcome:

“Shabnam’s home in her Hazara town in Pakistan was very different to a home you might find in Australia. Toilets were outside the house, and the whole family slept in the living room on mattresses called Toshak. In the morning, the family would move the mattresses to the side for people to sit on.”

Step 19.

Show students a clip of Shabnam, speaking about daily life at home in her Hazara town in Pakistan:

Shabnam speaking about her daily life in her home in her Hazara town in Pakistan (https://vimeo.com/291628090/c8fe8ac44c)

After this clip has finished, narrate the following:

“The concept of ‘home’ is not the same all over the world. When refugees arrive in Australia, their home life in Australia will often be very different from what they are used to. Moving to a new country is difficult in many ways, but learning the cultural rules and meanings of your new home life is especially challenging.”

Source: “Building a New Life in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Humanitarian Migrants”

Step 20.

Now show students a clip of Shabnam, speaking about adjusting to the new life in Australia:

Shabnam speaking about adjusting to the new life in Australia (https://vimeo.com/291628298/38aa4c2399)

Explain to students that they are now starting the sixth scenario, which focuses on trying to fit in with Australian culture.

To begin this scenario, narrate the following script:

“Almost everyone at your school has Facebook and Instagram accounts. But you’re not sure if you should set up your own accounts. You want to fit in and social media is where a lot of socialising happens at your new school. However, in your home country, women were sceptical of social media because it had the potential to bring shame and dishonour to your family. On your Student Worksheet under Question 8, tick what you would do. You have 2 minutes to choose between:

OPTION 1 – Set up your social media presence – this is your new home and you want to fit in.
OPTION 2 – You’re not sure how you feel about it yet. You’ll wait a few months before deciding."

Invite students to answer Question 8 on the Student Worksheet, allocating 2 minutes.

Once the students have completed their responses, narrate the following outcome:

“You decide to wait. You’re not used to using social media like your classmates here are. You’re worried that you will embarrass yourself."

Step 21.

Show students a clip of Shabnam, speaking about assimilating into Australian culture:

Shabnam speaking about assimilating into Australian culture (https://vimeo.com/291628539/9ec636d92c)

After the clip has finished, narrate the following script:

“Attitudes toward immigration and cultural diversity in Australia are largely positive. 63% of people agree or strongly agree that “accepting immigrants from many different countries makes Australia stronger.”

Source: https://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/mapping-social-cohesion-2017/

Step 22.

Explain to students that they are now starting the final scenario then show them the clip of Shabnam, speaking about her volunteer work with newly arrived refugees:

Shabnam speaking about her volunteer work with newly arrived refugees (https://vimeo.com/291629141/2d44566648)

After this clip has finished, narrate the following script:

"Tick the areas of life that you think would be most different between a newly arrived refugee's life in Australia and the life they had in their home country:

How people interact with their neighbours, family and friends
Where people buy their food and other basic goods
What people do for entertainment and leisure
How people structure their houses
Access to running water at home."

Invite students to answer Question 9 on the Student Worksheet, allocating 2 minutes.

Step 23.

Finally, show students a clip of Shabnam's message to the Australian community:

Shabnam message to the Australian community (https://vimeo.com/291629196/b7b032a9c9)

Part B – Taking Action

Step 1.

Write on the whiteboard the following 4 themes in 4 quadrants, leaving enough space to create a small list under each heading:

Making friends	Pursuing your passion
The importance of community	Asking for a helping hand

Step 2.

Under each heading, work with the class to brainstorm tangible and practical actions that they could take to support Shabnam (or a newly arrived refugee or person seeking asylum like her) to overcome her challenges in relation to each theme. Suggested answers have been provided in case prompting is needed. This exercise should take no more than 10 minutes.

Making friends

Suggested answers:

commit to making the effort to be friends with someone newly arrived who you wouldn’t usually hang out with
introduce yourself to your new classmate and offer to show them around the school
be inclusive to someone who is newly arrived, and invite the new student in class to a gathering of your friends
if someone arrives from a different country, make the effort to learn how to say “hello, my name is…” in their language
sit next to someone who has newly arrived in Australia, either in class or at lunchtime (or invite them to sit with your friends)

Pursuing your passion

Suggested answers:

ask someone newly arrived what they like to do or what their favourite subject is
ask someone newly arrived what they do for fun
ask someone newly arrived what they (or their parents) did for work in their home country and what they do now

The importance of community

Suggested answers:

invite someone newly arrived in Australia to join you at an event for your community (this can be for any community you feel a part of, whether it be sporting, artistic, cultural, religious or another)
volunteer one weekend at an event for a community you are a part of
if there's an event for a refugee or asylum seeker community happening in your city or town that invites people to join and show solidarity, join
if you know it's important religious or cultural day for a peer of yours, ask them if they can teach you about it
ask someone who is newly arrived in Australia about their life or community back home (e.g. what food do they eat, what language do they speak, what clothes do they wear, what are some slang words)

Asking for a helping hand

Suggested answers:

if you see someone looking lost, smile and ask them if there’s anything they need help with
if someone is newly arrived, offer to take them between classes to show them where to go
add someone newly arrived on social media and include them in your social events
ask someone newly arrived if they would like to come to your house on the weekend so you can show them around your favourite places
tell the newly arrived person that if they have any questions about anything they can feel comfortable asking you
be a good friend to a newly arrived person

Step 3.

You could finish this activity by proposing anything that wasn’t raised by the class from the list above or from the possible actions proposed by the refugee council, found here (https://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/take-action/).

Reflection

Step 1.

Facilitate a short reflective whole class discussion using the following prompts:

Is there anything from Shabnam’s story that surprised you? If so, what?
How would you describe your feelings towards refugees in Australia now that you’ve experienced some of Shabnam’s challenges from her first few months in Australia?
What tangible and practical positive actions will you take to support a refugee or person seeking asylum to overcome the challenges explored in the lesson?
Do you have any other comments, thoughts, feelings or questions to share?

Note: These questions are also available in the Student Worksheet if you would like to invite students to reflect individually or in their pairs.

Step 2.

Conclude this lesson by reiterating that this activity showed just a few difficult decisions refugees and asylum seekers have to make when they arrive in Australia. For more stories of other refugees from different cultures, ethnicities and backgrounds, you can engage interactively with their stories through the Our Stories project. Open the Our Stories website and show students the home page.

Take it Further

Following on from this lesson, consider inviting a refugee from your local community to speak to the class. You can contact the Refugee Council of Australia for a recommendation for a speaker. In Melbourne, you could request a speaker from the Centre for Multicultural Youth or the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre.

Differentiated Learning

Extension – Students can extend this activity by interviewing refugees in their local community and creating their own situation script. If they are of a high enough quality, these student scripts can be used to teach students about this topic in following years.

Provisions for Learning Support – Consider providing students with a copy of the Situation Script to follow the story as the lesson progresses. This whole lesson can also be done entirely by students in their groups using the script, shifting a marker across a checkerboard, or similar.

Teacher Reflection

Take this opportunity to reflect on your own teaching:

What did you learn about your teaching today?
What worked well?
What didn't work so well?
What would you share?
Where to next?
How are you going to get there?

Our Stories - Shabnam's Refugee Experience Settling in Australia

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