Journal Prompts for a Borders & Belonging Unit

The following Facing History journal prompts are designed to support student reflection for a Borders & Belonging unit. To help students feel safe and empowered, it is important that they always know before they write if they will be sharing their ideas, and they should always have the choice to keep what they write in their journals private.  

Prompts to Explore the Intersection of Borders and Belonging 

• What is a border? What kinds of borders exist in the world? What purposes do borders serve?
• What forces keep borders in place? What forces can break borders down? 
• How do we conceive of borders? In other words, how do we know they exist when many borders are invisible to the naked eye? 
• How can borders, both real and imagined, shape individuals’ sense of belonging? 
• How can we cultivate empathy for individuals and groups on the other side of a border? 

Prompts to Explore Individual and Group Behavior

• What are the visible and invisible borders that influence my sense of who I am and where I belong?
• How do your different identities intersect to shape who you are and your sense of belonging in some groups and your exclusion from others? 
• Why and how do individuals and societies create “the Other”?
• What role do borders play in determining who is “in” and “out” of a neighborhood, community, or group?

Prompts to Explore Fitting In Versus Belonging

• What does it mean to “fit in”? How is that different from “belonging”?
• Have you ever felt the pressure to fit in? Can you describe a specific situation where you felt this pressure? How did it make you feel?
• Why do you think people sometimes sacrifice their values to fit in? Can you think of any examples from your own life or from stories you’ve heard?
• Can you think of any examples from books, movies, or real life where characters or individuals chose to prioritize belonging over fitting in? What were the outcomes of their choices?
• Reflecting on your own experiences, what are some ways you can contribute to creating a sense of belonging for others while staying true to your own values and beliefs?

Prompts to Explore Global Migration

• When were you a newcomer to a community? How did that experience make you feel? What did you need from other people to feel welcome?

• How and why do people cross borders? What factors can facilitate crossing borders? What factors can restrict or prevent crossing borders? 
• How can the language we use to talk about migration create “in” groups and “out” groups that create a sense of belonging for some while excluding others?
• How can learning someone’s migration story help us understand the complexity of global migration and the choices people may face when deciding or being forced to move to a new place? 
• How can learning someone’s migration story help us understand the emotional and physical challenges people may face when they move to a new place? 
• What steps can I take to help newcomers in my community feel a sense of belonging? 
• What kind of power do stories have? What gives stories their power? How can personal stories about migration help us see humanity in others?

Prompts to Explore Reimagining Home

• Where, to whom, or to what do you belong? What is the story that shows this belonging? 
• If you could live anywhere in the world other than where you live now, where would it be and why? What makes you excited about living in this place? What would you miss about where you live now?  
• What does it mean to call a place home? When can we say that we truly belong? ¹
• What role do borders play in determining who is “in” and “out” of a neighborhood, community, or group?
• How does your understanding of where you are shape who you are, your choices, and the decisions you make? 

• 1 bell hooks Belonging: A Culture of Place (Routledge, 2008).