Why People Move

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Instructor: Elisa Beachy

Students: Grades 4 and up

Overview:

This lesson can be utilized during the Five Themes of Geography– Movement concept. Students will be able to investigate within their own family structure where their relatives have moved or migrated from, and compare and contrast this data with other students.

Objectives:

  1. Students will utilize interview skills as they interview relatives of their own families.
  2. Students will maintain their use of mapping skills
  3. Students will compare, contrast, and analyze data with other students.

Materials:

  1. United States Map
  2. Colored pencils (any two colors will be appropriate)

Procedures:

  1. Discuss the concept of movement in the Five Themes of Geography.
  2. Explain that people have migrated or moved from many locations for many reasons.
  3. Students are assigned to interview their families and see where they migrated from, state or country. They will interview their parents or other relatives.
  4. After the information has been collected, students will be assigned to a group of 4-5 people. A group leader will be chosen. The group will collect all the data and place it on a map of the United States (or the world if necessary).
  5. Using colored pencils, the students will show their relatives migrated from and where they ended up living. Green will be the starting point (migration from) and red will be the ending point (migration to).
  6. After completing the map, the group leaders will share their data with the rest of the class.
  7. The group leader will place group data on the large map on the wall to see an overall picture from all of the five classes.
  8. A further discussion will be held after all five classes have placed their data on the large map to see where a majority of the migration came from and if patterns took place.