Refugee Novel Study | Cuba 1994 Cuban Rafter Crisis Background Knowledge

Refugee Novel Study | Cuba 1994 Cuban Rafter Crisis Background Knowledge Activity

Help students better understand Isabel’s story in Refugee by Alan Gratz by exploring the real historical crisis behind her family’s journey.

This no-prep lesson is part of a larger Building Background Knowledge Bundle for the novel Refugee by Alan Gratz. The bundle is designed to introduce students to the real historical events, places, conflicts, and circumstances behind the novel before reading, helping students approach Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud’s stories with a stronger understanding of their historical contexts.

In this lesson, students investigate the 1994 Cuban Rafter Crisis, including Cuba’s Special Period, the economic hardships and shortages experienced by families, the events that contributed to the mass migration of 1994, and the serious risks people faced when attempting to cross the sea on makeshift rafts and boats. Students are challenged to consider the central question behind Isabel’s historical context: What conditions could make an ordinary family decide that a dangerous ocean crossing was worth the risk?

Students Will:
- Explore the historical context of Cuba in 1994
- Investigate Cuba’s Special Period
- Examine economic hardship and shortages faced by Cuban families
- Trace the causes and effects that contributed to the 1994 migration crisis
- Investigate the dangers faced by Cuban rafters
- Analyze the difficult decision between staying and leaving
- Connect historical evidence to Isabel’s story in Refugee
- Evaluate and select strong historical evidence
- Collaborate to create a Refugee Context Gallery Exhibit
- Present their findings through a Gallery Walk

What’s Included:
- Teacher Directions
- Student-friendly historical overview
- Mini research questions
- Group Activity directions
- Understanding the Crisis research organizer
- Why Risk the Journey? analysis activity
- Gallery Exhibit Planner
- Trusted online research resources
- Color and black-and-white student pages

Group Activity: Refugee Context Gallery Exhibit
Students work collaboratively to investigate the 1994 Cuban Rafter Crisis. Groups choose to focus primarily on either the economic causes of the crisis or the events and risks of the 1994 sea crossing. They research their chosen focus and transform their findings into a Gallery Walk display that teaches classmates about the crisis. Each group also includes a specific statistic or documented detail showing the scale of the event.

Perfect For:
- Refugee by Alan Gratz novel studies
- Pre-reading activities
- Building background knowledge
- Grades 6–8
- Middle school ELA
- Historical fiction units
- Cuba and Cuban history
- Migration and refugee studies
- Cross-curricular ELA & Social Studies
- Sub plans

Why Teachers Love It:
- No prep and ready to use
- Builds important historical context before students encounter Isabel’s story
- Helps students understand the real events behind the novel
- Moves students beyond fact-finding into cause and effect, analysis, and historical thinking
- Encourages students to consider the human experiences behind major historical events
- Makes a meaningful connection between historical evidence and historical fiction
- Develops research, collaboration, critical thinking, and presentation skills
- Includes structured student pages without over-scaffolding

This resource focuses specifically on Cuba in 1994, the Cuban Rafter Crisis, and the historical circumstances surrounding Isabel’s story. Look for the complete Refugee Building Background Knowledge Bundle for additional lessons exploring the people, places, events, and historical circumstances students encounter throughout the novel.