Social Studies - World Geography
Lesson Plans

WG Strand 2: POPULATION DISTRIBUTION AND MIGRATION

The movement and distribution of people is influenced by many factors, including environmental, cultural, economic, and geopolitical forces. These migration trends alter geographic conditions. Geographers use data to understand population distribution and migration by looking at population characteristics, push and pull factors, and numerous other variables. Analyzing this data offers an opportunity to examine complex and challenging real-world issues.

Possible Guiding Questions to Consider:

• Why do people live where they live?
• Why do people move, sometimes at great risk to themselves?
• How might population trends influence aspects of daily life at local, regional, or global scales?
• Why do urbanization patterns differ around the world?
• How can governmental policies have both intended and unintended consequences for population and migration?
• What are the costs and benefits of mass urbanization?
• How do geographers use demographic data to make informed decisions?

WG Standard 2.3:

Students will investigate the effects of significant patterns of human movement that shape urban and rural environments over time, such as mass urbanization, immigration, and the movement of refugees.

• A Refugee's Story
  Millions of Syrian refugees are leaving their war-torn home in search of safety and opportunity in other countries. Those who have suffered the challenges of starting anew can have a powerful impact helping others resettle. Lesson plan with a short documentary film. (English and Spanish)
• Comparing and Contrasting Global Migration Policies
  This unit was created by Dr. Matthew Wynne, a 7th grade Social Studies teacher in Fayetteville, NC, as part of the spring 2021 Pulitzer Center Teacher Fellowship program on Stories of Migration. It is designed for facilitation across approximately three or four 60-minute in-person or virtual class periods.
  The purpose of this unit is for students to investigate migration and immigration policies across the globe using current events articles from the Pulitzer Center. Students in this unit will read, comprehend, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate these articles. From these articles students will discover issues and trends of migration and immigration from an international perspective, and will compare and contrast the policies they learn about. It is important for students in the 21st century to view reality from outside of their individual context.
• Haitian Migrants at the US–Mexico Border
  This mini-lesson uses images and firsthand accounts of Haitian migrants to humanize the events happening at the US?Mexico border and give shape and nuance to the news.

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