Refugee Boy - Finding Your Voice

A creative writing lesson where students craft a narrative from the viewpoint of someone arriving somewhere completely new, drawing on themes explored throughout Refugee Boy.

What’s Included

• Starter on memorable first experiences
• Recap of key themes: belonging, change, uncertainty
• Guided prompts for narrative voice and detail
• Narrative writing task
• Success criteria for description and emotion
• Reflection questions

Lesson Overview
Students reflect on what it feels like to be new—whether in a country, a city, or a school. Through discussion and guided prompts, they explore how to convey emotions such as excitement, fear, curiosity, and hope.

The main task is to write a narrative piece from the perspective of a newcomer. Students choose their setting and focus on sensory detail, emotional atmosphere, and a strong narrative voice inspired by Alem’s experiences.

Perfect For
Year 7 English, creative writing, empathy‑building, and developing narrative voice and descriptive detail.