Home of the Brave

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Home of the Brave, By the Numbers”

In this activity, students will gain a data-driven perspective on the worldwide refugee crisis, sharpening their analytical skills while simultaneously deepening their understanding of the core themes in Home of the Brave.

According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, as of 2022, there are 103 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, and 72% of those refugees originate from just five countries: Syria (6.8 million), Venezuela (5.6 million), Ukraine (5.4 million), Afghanistan (2.8 million), and South Sudan (2.4 million). 

Kek’s difficult road of fleeing his homeland, being separated from his family, and struggling to assimilate into American culture is not unique. Spend time as a class exploring the suggested online sources suggested or similar resources to learn more about how war, famine, disease, and poverty all touch these five countries and force ordinary people to flee in search of a better life.

In this three-part activity, you will:

• Review statistics related to the Sudanese refugee crisis, specifically. In your review of the data, did you uncover any statistics that you find to be particularly illuminating? Where does Kek fit into the overall picture?
• Review statistics related to another one of the top countries from which the world’s refugees hail from. Select either the Syrian Arab Republic, Venezuela, Ukraine, or Afghanistan and review the data surrounding refugees from these countries. How do they compare to Sudan/South Sudan?
• Finally, imagine a dialogue between Kek and another refugee student from the country you chose to learn more about. Imagine that a refugee student from the country you selected joins Kek’s ESL class. How would Kek advise them about ways to fit in? Would Kek befriend them? Write a scene lasting at least three minutes that involves Kek and this student meeting for the first time.

To conclude this activity, share what you’ve learned or created: You can opt to share either one of the statistics you uncovered in your research (a little-known or otherwise illuminating statistic, about either the Sudan/South Sudan or the other country of your choice), or you can share the imagined dialogue and scene between Kek and another refugee student.

Teaching Suggestion: The United Nations Refugee Agency is a rich source of information on the worldwide refugee community. It might be beneficial to use this site or similar resources in the completion of the project.

• “Data Insights“ uses infographics to show the refugee crisis through the lens of statistics and infographics.
• “How Many Children Are Born into a Refugee Life?” investigates the population of refugee children whose births are not recorded.
• “More Than 100 Million People are Forcibly Displaced” looks at the global population of displaced people.
• “Forced Displacement Flow Dataset” uses datasets to track the shifting global refugee crisis.