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Welcome to Canada

Secondary

Description

This short film tells the story of Mohammed Alsaleh, a young Syrian refugee granted asylum in Canada in 2014. After fleeing torture and imprisonment by the Assad regime, he is rebuilding his life. Mohammed counsels newly-arrived Syrian refugee families with the same Vancouver-based NGO that aided him during his own resettlement process. Like Mohammed, these families have left loved ones behind and are struggling to adapt to a new land, finding resilience and hope for a new beginning. 

The film is accompanied by a supporting lesson plan, A Refugees Story that helps teachers explore the issues raised by the film.

General Assessment

What skills does this resource explicitly teach?

The video provides an opportunity to  strengthen those skills associated with critical evaluation of films. What is the main message of the film? What techniques are employed to gain the viewers interest and/or support  for that message? What is left out of the film? Why? 

Strengths

The Great Migration currently occurring around the globe is one of the great issues of the day and one that students should explore. The recent immigration of Syrian refugees to Canada is one chapter in that story.

A number of powerful images has had the affect of raising awareness of and empathy for the plight of these refugees.  The story approach adopted by the video is also effective as it serves to personalize the tragedy unfolding and may encourage teachers and students to delve further into the causes and effects of this mass migration. Should they decide to delve further, the supporting resources included in the accompanying lesson plan would be helpful.

Recommendation of how and where to use it

The film should be used to introduce students to the current issue of mass migration.Teachers should follow the viewing of the video with further lessons designed to investigate the reasons for and the consequences of this migration.

Given that the people on the move are either environmental refugees, economic refugees, human rights refugees or a combination of these, the video will be particularly relevant to World Issues and Global Issues courses as well as Geography and other courses that integrate issues of sustainable development from a global perspective.

Relevant Curriculum Units

The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.

  • Step 1Select a province
  • Alberta
    • Step 2Select a grade level
    • Grade 10
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • Social Studies
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Social Studies 10-2 (Living in a Globalizing World) Canadian Response to Globalisation?
    • Grade 12
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • Geography
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • World Geography 30: World Patterns of Population and Settlement
  • British Columbia
    • Step 2Select a grade level
    • Grade 10
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • Social Studies
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Social Studies 10 -Canada and the World: 1914 to the Present: Historical and contemporary injustices challenge the narrative and identity of Canada as an inclusive, multicultural society
    • Grade 12
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • Social Studies
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Political Studies: Decision making in a democratic system of government is influenced by the distribution of political and social power.
  • Manitoba
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    • Grade 12
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • Geography
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • World Geography: A Human Perspective - World Population: Characteristics, Distribution, and Growth
      • Social Studies
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Citizenship and Sustainability: Area of Inquiry: Peace and Conflict
        • Citizenship and Sustainability: Area of Inquiry: Social Justice and Human Rights
        • Citizenship and Sustainability:Area of Inquiry: Oppression and Genocide
        • Global Issues
        • Global Issues
        • Global Issues
  • New Brunswick
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    • Grade 12
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • Social Studies
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • World Issues 120: Humanity
        • World Issues 120:Interdependence
  • Newfoundland & Labrador
    • Step 2Select a grade level
    • Grade 10
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • Geography
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Canadian Geography 1202: Human Population Issues in Canadian Geography
    • Grade 12
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      • Geography
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • World Geography 3200/3202: Population Distribution and Growth
  • Nova Scotia
    • Step 2Select a grade level
    • Grade 12
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • Geography
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Global Geography: Population
      • Political Science
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Global Politics 12: Global Citizen
  • Ontario
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    • Grade 9
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      • Geography
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Issues in Canadian Geography (Academic):Changing Populations
    • Grade 11
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      • Geography
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Regional Geography (Univ./College Prep.): Regional and International Interactions
    • Grade 12
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      • Geography
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • World Issues: A Geographic Analysis (Univ. Prep.): Social Change and the Quality of Life
      • Political Science
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Canadian and International Politics (Univ. Prep.) Governments and Canadian and International Politics
        • Canadian and International Politics (Univ. Prep.) Non-governmental Action on Canadian and International Political Issues
  • Prince Edward Island
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    • Grade 10
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      • Geography
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Geography of Canada 421A: Canada’s Global Connections
      • Social Studies
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Canadian Studies 401A: Canada's Global Connections
    • Grade 11
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • Geography
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Geography 521A, Global Studies: Cultural Patterns of the World
        • Geography 531A (World Geography): Cultural Patterns of the Worl
    • Grade 12
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • Geography
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Geography 621A Global Issues : Inquiry- What are the issues?
        • Geography 631A Global Issues: What are the issues?
      • Political Science
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Policy Issues
  • Quebec
    • Step 2Select a grade level
    • Grade 11
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • Geography
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Cultural Geography: Arab Cultural Area
      • Social Studies
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Contemporary World: Population
  • Saskatchewan
    • Step 2Select a grade level
    • Grade 11
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • Social Studies
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Social Studies 20: World Issues - Population
  • Yukon Territory
    • Step 2Select a grade level
    • Grade 10
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • Social Studies
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Social Studies 10 -Canada and the World: 1914 to the Present: Historical and contemporary injustices challenge the narrative and identity of Canada as an inclusive, multicultural society
    • Grade 12
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • Social Studies
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Political Studies: Decision making in a democratic system of government is influenced by the distribution of political and social power.

Themes Addressed

Human Rights (2)

  • Refugees and Immigration
  • War and Peace