Teaching Empathy and Understanding with Refugee by Alan Gratz

by Shelley | English/Language Arts, Novel Studies

Looking for a powerful middle school novel that builds empathy, encourages critical thinking, and connects literature to real-world history? Refugee by Alan Gratz is an excellent choice for grades 5-8.  

This compelling historical fiction novel follows three young people from three different time periods and countries as they flee dangerous circumstances in search of safety. Through the stories of Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud, students encounter themes of refugees, immigration, displacement, courage, resilience, family, freedom, and hope.

For teachers, Refugee offers far more than an engaging story. It provides countless opportunities for reading comprehension, character analysis, historical research, writing, discussion, geography, and perspective-taking.

Refugee by Alan Gratz

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Why Teach Refugee by Alan Gratz?

One of the greatest strengths of Refugee is the way Alan Gratz helps young readers understand an enormous global issue through the experiences of individual children.

Rather than simply learning about refugees from a textbook or article, students follow Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud as they experience fear, uncertainty, loss, and hope firsthand.

That makes Refugee an especially effective empathy-building novel for middle school students.

1. Refugee Encourages Empathy and Perspective-Taking

The novel allows students to see the world from perspectives that may be very different from their own.

Josef is a Jewish boy fleeing Nazi Germany in 1939. Isabel is a Cuban girl whose family attempts to escape Cuba in 1994. Mahmoud is a Syrian boy forced to flee his home during the Syrian Civil War in 2015.

Although their circumstances are different, the three stories share universal themes of family, fear, courage, survival, and the search for a safe place to call home.

As students read, they can consider questions such as:

• How would you feel if you had to leave your home?
• What would you be willing to risk to protect your family?
• How does fear influence the characters’ decisions?
• What does it mean to be brave?
• How can our experiences influence the way we understand other people?

These discussions can help students develop empathy while also strengthening their ability to analyze character motivations and perspectives.

2. Refugee Connects ELA and Social Studies

One of the biggest advantages of using Refugee as a classroom novel is its cross-curricular potential.

Each of the three storylines gives students an opportunity to explore a different historical and geographical setting.

Josef – Nazi Germany

Josef’s story introduces students to the persecution of Jewish people during Nazi Germany and provides opportunities to explore topics such as Hitler Youth, the Sturmabteilung (SA), Kristallnacht, and the MS St. Louis.

Isabel – Cuba

Isabel’s story takes place during the Cuban refugee crisis and allows students to learn more about Fidel Castro, Cuba, and the political and economic circumstances that led families to leave the country.

Mahmoud – Syria

Mahmoud’s story introduces students to the Syrian Civil War and the refugee crisis of the 21st century.

These historical connections make Refugee an excellent choice for an ELA and social studies cross-curricular unit.

Students aren’t simply reading a story—they’re examining the historical circumstances that shaped the characters’ lives.

3. Refugee Provides Excellent Reading Comprehension Practice

Because the novel switches between three protagonists and three different time periods, students must pay close attention to the details.

A Refugee novel study can help students practice:

• Reading comprehension
• Making inferences
• Identifying themes
• Analyzing character development
• Comparing and contrasting characters
• Determining cause and effect
• Summarizing
• Analyzing setting
• Examining conflict
• Supporting ideas with text evidence
• Making connections between historical events and literature

The structure of the novel also gives teachers an opportunity to have students compare the experiences of Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud and identify the similarities and differences among their journeys.

4. Refugee Sparks Meaningful Classroom Discussions

Few topics generate more thoughtful discussion than questions about what people are willing to do to protect themselves and their families.

As students read Refugee, they can discuss topics such as:

• What does it mean to be a refugee?
• Why do people leave their homes?
• What makes someone courageous?
• How do governments and historical events affect individuals?
• What responsibilities do countries have toward refugees?
• How does perspective affect the way we understand an event?
• What similarities exist between the three protagonists?
• How does the author use three different stories to communicate a larger message?

These conversations provide natural opportunities for speaking and listening practice, argumentative writing, evidence-based responses, and critical thinking.

5. Refugee Makes History Personal

History can sometimes feel distant to students.

Reading dates, names, and events in a textbook is one thing. Experiencing those events through the eyes of a young person is something entirely different.

Refugee brings history to life by allowing students to experience major historical events through the perspectives of children and families.

Students can connect literature with historical research as they learn about:

• Nazi Germany
• Kristallnacht
• Hitler Youth
• The MS St. Louis
• Cuba under Fidel Castro
• The Cuban refugee experience
• The Syrian Civil War
• The modern refugee crisis

This makes Refugee an excellent historical fiction novel for middle school ELA and social studies instruction.

6. The Novel Encourages Strong Writing

Refugee also provides numerous opportunities for meaningful writing assignments.

Students can write about:

• Character development
• Theme
• Conflict
• Historical context
• Personal reactions
• Perspective
• Courage and resilience
• Similarities and differences among the protagonists
• The choices characters make throughout the novel

The novel’s complex themes make it particularly useful for moving students beyond simple recall questions and toward text-based analysis and deeper written responses.

Looking for Refugee Novel Study Activities and Lesson Plans?

While Refugee is an incredibly powerful novel, creating an entire unit from scratch can take hours.

That’s why I created a complete Refugee Novel Study for grades 5-8.

This ready-to-use resource provides the materials you need to teach the novel while incorporating reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, character analysis, writing, historical research, and assessment.

What’s Included in the Refugee Novel Study?

The complete unit includes:

• Detailed lesson plans
• Pacing and standards guide
• Chapter-by-chapter comprehension questions
• Vocabulary and grammar activities
• 65 vocabulary words
• Character analysis activities
• Mapping activities for all three stories
• Writing activities
• End-of-book activities
• Story elements activities
• Three-part assessments
• Answer keys
• Common Core alignment for grades 5-8
• Historical nonfiction research WebQuests
• Printable student materials
• Google Drive digital materials

The included WebQuests allow students to dig deeper into the historical background of the novel, including the Sturmabteilung (SA), Kristallnacht, Hitler Youth, the MS St. Louis, Fidel Castro and Cuba, and the Syrian Civil War.

The resource is available in both printable and digital Google Drive formats, making it flexible for traditional classrooms, paperless classrooms, Google Classroom, small groups, or homeschool instruction.

Help Students Read Refugee With Greater Understanding

Refugee by Alan Gratz is more than a compelling middle school novel. It is an opportunity to help students explore history, empathy, resilience, perspective, courage, and the experiences of people forced to leave their homes.

By combining the novel with thoughtful discussion, historical research, reading comprehension activities, and writing assignments, teachers can create a meaningful learning experience that extends far beyond the pages of the book.

If you’re planning a Refugee novel unit for grades 5-8, having your lesson plans, activities, comprehension questions, vocabulary work, assessments, and historical research activities ready to go can save you hours of preparation.

Try a Free Sample

Want to see what’s included before you buy? Download the free sample of the Refugee novel study and take a look at the activities, lesson materials, and student resources.

📚 Ready to Teach Refugee?

Check out my complete Refugee Novel Study by Alan Gratz for a comprehensive, no-prep unit designed specifically for grades 5-8.

Print it, use it digitally, and start teaching!

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