1. Build background about human migration and types of migration.
Explain to students that human migration is the movement of people from one place in the world to another. Ask: What are some different types of human movements? Then tell students that people move for many reasons, and that types of human migration include:

  • internal migration: moving within a state, country, or continent
  • external migration: moving to a different state, country, or continent
  • emigration: leaving one country to move to another
  • immigration: moving into a new country
  • return migration: moving back to where you came from
  • seasonal migration: moving with each season or in response to labor or climate conditions

 

2. Discuss people who migrate.
Tell students that people who migrate fall into several categories:

  • An emigrant is a person who is leaving one country to live in another.
  • An immigrant is a person who is entering a country from another to make a new home.
  • A refugee is a person who has moved to a new country because of a problem in their former home.

Have students provide specific examples of each to demonstrate understanding of the differences between the three terms.

3. Brainstorm reasons for migrating.
Ask: Why do people move? What forces do you think drive human migration? Then explain to students that people move for many reasons and that those reasons are called push factors and pull factors. Tell students that push factors include leaving a place because of a problem, such as a food shortage, war, or flood. Tell students that pull factors include moving to a place because of something good, such as a nicer climate, more job opportunities, or a better food supply. Ask: What effect does a region’s economy, climate, politics, and culture have on migration to and from the area? Have students brainstorm additional reasons for migrating, such as displacement by a natural disaster, lack of natural resources, the state of an economy, and more.

Informal Assessment

Check students’ comprehension. Make sure they understand the difference between emigrants, immigrants, and refugees.

Subjects & Disciplines

Learning Objectives

Students will:

  • list and explain main types of migration
  • describe categories of people who migrate
  • list reasons for migrating

Teaching Approach

  • Learning-for-use

Teaching Methods

  • Brainstorming
  • Discussions

Skills Summary

This activity targets the following skills:

Connections to National Standards, Principles, and Practices

National Council for Social Studies Curriculum Standards

  • Theme 3:  People, Places, and Environments

National Geography Standards

  • Standard 9:  The characteristics, distribution, and migration of human populations on Earth's surface

What You’ll Need

Materials You Provide

  • Paper
  • Pencils
  • Pens

Physical Space

  • Classroom

Grouping

  • Large-group instruction

Background Information

Human migration is the movement of people from one place in the world to another. Human patterns of movement reflect the conditions of a changing world and impact the cultural landscapes of both the places people leave and the places they settle.

Prior Knowledge

  • None

Recommended Prior Activities

Vocabulary

emigrant
Noun

person who moves from their existing country or region to a new country or region.
emigration
Noun

process of leaving one country or region to live in another.
external migration
Noun

the movement of people to another nation or country.
human migration
Noun

the movement of people from one place to another.
immigrant
Noun

person who moves to a new country or region.
immigration
Noun

process of moving to a new country or region with the intention of staying and living there.
internal migration
Noun

the movement of people from one area in a country or nation to another.
pull factor
Noun

force that draws people to immigrate to a place.
push factor
Noun

force that drives people away from a place.
refugee
Noun

person who flees their home, usually due to natural disaster or political upheaval.
return migration
Noun

the return of immigrants to their home country.
seasonal migration
Noun

movement of animals or other organisms determined by the changing weather or seasons, or in response to labor or climate conditions. For animals, seasonal migration usually refers to movement to a warmer climate during the winter and a cooler climate during the summer. For humans, seasonal migration may happen because of drivers such as crop and livestock management or tourism.

Websites

  • Credits

    Media Credits

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    Writer

    Nancee Hunter

    Editor

    Christina Riska Simmons

    Expert Reviewer

    Andrew C. Clarke, University of Otago, Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Dunedin, New Zealand

    Sources

    adapted from National Geographic Xpeditions lesson “Human Migration: The Story of the Cultural Landscape”

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