Ethos Education

Elemental: What does the Bible say about immigration?

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Learning Objectives:

  • Awareness of the economic and social factors causing mass migration.
  • Awareness of the causes and consequences of prejudice against immigration.
  • Understanding of Christian teaching about welcoming the stranger.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Reflect on the experience of discrimination and disadvantage through a practical task and discussion.
  • Analyse a clip from Elemental and identify examples of discrimination as pertaining to an immigrant family.
  • Identify definitions of the terms Migrant, Immigrant, Refugee and Asylum Seeker.
  • Evaluate different perspectives on immigration and consider the issues raised by the topic through discussion.
  • Analyse the work of Christian charities and churches in welcoming incomers and consider the biblical basis for this type of work.
  • Consolidate learning by writing a letter home from an imaginary migrant.

Supporting Values Education:

  • The values of mutual tolerance and respectful attitudes to those who are different to ourselves is based on a belief that all humans are of equal worth. This lesson encourages students to consider how prejudice and inequality shape responses to immigrant populations, and to understand Christian teaching on welcoming the stranger and showing respect for those who are different.

STARTER:

Give students copies of the Identity Papers handout. This is laid out in the style of a passport and includes the following questions plus space to draw a profile photo:

Questions:

  • Full name
  • Meaning of name, if known
  • Eye colour
  • Hair colour
  • Hair length
  • Height
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Number of siblings
  • Favourite colour
  • Favourite band
  • Pets (if any)
  • Top subject at school

Once these are completed, ask students to imagine that the headteacher has decided that a quarter of the class will be given special privileges. This section of the class will be allowed to go home early, given permission to take Fridays off for the rest of the year, they will be given £100 each which must be spent on sweets, entertainment or the charity of their choice and they will be given a free pass on ten homework tasks between today and the end of the school year.

The headteacher has said that the class must decide who will be in the privileged group.

Discuss the fairest way to identify the 25%. What characteristics or achievements would make students worthy of the privilege?

Invite students to look at their identity papers and discuss whether there might be a way to choose the group from the information given. Would it be fair to choose those born in a particular month? To choose those who all enjoyed the same subject? To select those with the same hair colour or place of birth?

Explain that, sadly, there is no special award being made, but that for the rest of the lesson, it’s important to remember what it feels like not to be chosen, and to be discriminated against on the basis of identity characteristics and to be disadvantaged as a result. Discrimination means being treated differently, and often unfairly, from other people. Discrimination is often connected to age, sex and gender, disability and ethnicity (race or nationality).

Ask the class to suggest forms of discrimination that they are aware of.

MAIN ACTIVITIES:

Show the clip from Elemental (Disney Pixar, 2023, certificate PG). Click here to buy the DVD online.

Introduction to the clip:

Bernie and Cinder have come to Element City in search of a better life. When they arrive, they face discrimination from some of the other Elements. They also discover that coming to a different country is difficult.

Show the clip:

  • Start time: 0.00.58 (beginning of the film)
  • End time: 0.04.43
  • Clip length: 4 minutes 45 seconds

The clip begins with two Fire Elements arriving in Element City by boat. As they disembark we realise that they are joining a mass of different Elements – Fire, Earth, Water and Air – in wanting to settle in this glittering city. They enter a large reception hall, crowded with other Elements. A sign on the wall states that this is the third wave of immigration into Element City. When they reach the desk the clerk can’t spell their names, so decides to call them Bernie and Cinder and welcomes them to Element City by stamping their paperwork. They walk out into the city and it is apparent that the Elements live in different worlds, with Water being the most prosperous. Bernie and Cinder (who is pregnant) knock on various doors looking for somewhere to live, but it is obvious that there is prejudice against the Fire Element. Eventually they find an unoccupied building and they settle there. The baby is born and Bernie sprinkles her head with the fire from the ‘blue flame’ they have carried from their homeland. The clip finishes with Bernie lifting the baby up and telling her, ‘Welcome, my Ember, to your new life!’

Ask students if they noticed any instances of Bernie and Cinder being discriminated against when they arrived in Element City (obvious wealth gap between the different groups, unwillingness to learn their names or engage with their culture, inability to rent properties, prejudice against them because they were Fire Elements).

The clip ends on a hopeful note with Ember’s birth and the statement ‘Welcome, my Ember, to your new life!’. Discuss whether Ember’s life in Element City is likely to be better or worse than the life she would have lived in her home country. Does the class think that the family has been made welcome in Element City?

Explain that people move countries for various reasons, and different words are used to describe different types of people. Some people, like Bernie and Cinder, move by choice in search of a new life. Other people are forced to leave their own country because of war or disaster. The global charity International Rescue Committee, uses the following definitions:

Immigrant:

An immigrant is someone who makes a conscious decision to leave his or her home and move to a foreign country with the intention of settling there. Immigrants often go through a lengthy vetting process to immigrate to a new country. Many become lawful permanent residents and eventually citizens.

Immigrants research their destinations, explore employment opportunities, and study the language of the country where they plan to live. Most importantly, they are free to return home whenever they choose.

Migrant:

A migrant is someone who is moving from place to place (within his or her country or across borders), usually for economic reasons such as seasonal work. Similar to immigrants, they were not forced to leave their native countries because of persecution or violence, but rather are seeking better opportunities.

Refugee:

A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her home because of war, violence or persecution, often without warning. They are unable to return home unless and until conditions in their native lands are safe for them again.

Asylum seeker:

An asylum seeker is someone who is also seeking international protection from dangers in his or her home country, but whose claim for refugee status hasn’t been determined legally. Asylum seekers must apply for protection in the country of destination—meaning they must arrive at or cross a border in order to apply.

Then, they must be able to prove to authorities there that they meet the criteria to be covered by refugee protections. Not every asylum seeker will be recognised as a refugee.

Source: https://www.rescue.org/uk/article/migrants-asylum-seekers-refugees-and-immigrants-whats-difference

Distribute the What Am I? handout. Working in pairs, students must match the definitions to four case studies then list three problems that might occur when there is an influx of migrants, immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers.

Share answers from the handout then remind students of how they went about deciding which quarter of the class would be allowed to enjoy the privileges gifted by the headteacher. What problems arose? What problems might arise when a country experiences a large number of migrants, immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers? Can students think of any examples of recent waves of immigration to the UK? Are there any students who might have some personal experience of any such problems? Are they willing to share their experience?

Show the Far From Home video from Sanctuary Foundation:

https://youtu.be/vmi5xQcB9zA?list=PLjgVitI3YpvMP17bB1cYVPXG5QJxmgL7z

This video is about the work of a Christian charity that connects refugees and migrants with Christian churches and tells the story of an immigrant family. It also reminds us that Jesus was born in temporary accommodation to a migrant family. Introduce the worksheet by explaining that there are many Christian charities and church groups who offer practical advice to help people welcome people arriving in the UK from other countries, and the Bible demonstrates some reasons for this.

Distribute the Why Welcome A Stranger? handout. The correct answers are:

Everyone is equal and deserves to be treated fairly – Galatians 3:27-29

Jesus said that welcoming children was like welcoming God – Matthew 18:2-5

Welcoming strangers can be like welcoming angels – Hebrews 13:2

If you follow Jesus you should invite people into your home without complaining – 1 Peter 4:9-10

Helping people who are in need is like offering help to Jesus – Matthew 25:34-40

Beliefs should be matched with action, especially when it comes to widows and orphans – James 1:26-27

SUMMARY AND ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING:

Distribute the Letter Home handout in which there is space to write a letter to a friend. This invites students to imagine they are a refugee or immigrant who has come to the UK and have been welcomed by a Christian into their home for a meal or to stay. Students must write a letter home telling their friend about how it felt to be made welcome, and what their new friend believes the Bible says about welcoming strangers, as well as including detail about the food, weather and customs in their new home.

If there is time, ask some students to read out their letter to the class.

YOU WILL NEED:

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