Students learn why African Americans migrated from the rural South to the urban areas of the Northeast and Midwest beginning in 1910 in what was called The Great Migration. Students examine the “push and pull” reasons for the migration. They also explore the positive and negative outcomes on migrants’ lives and the impact on the population that already existed. Students then learn about the effect of population growth on the physical environment of cities.
Students read an overview of the first Great Migration, including when it occurred, why African Americans left the rural South, and how this movement affected U.S. cities and the physical environment. After viewing a photograph of an African American family that migrated to Chicago, they imagine having to leave their own homes and contribute one question they would want answered before deciding to migrate to a shared class table titled “Our Questions About Migration.”
Teacher MovesDiscuss selected student questions to highlight the difficult choices and challenges African Americans faced when considering migration. Encourage students to think about why people are driven to leave their homes, and, when appropriate, invite students with personal migration experiences to share their perspectives.
Students examine a historical image of a segregated “Jim Crow” train car and learn about push and pull factors that influenced African Americans to move from the South to the North and Midwest during the Great Migration. They watch the video and read the articles listed (including resources such as The Great Migration (1915–1960) and World War I and the Great Migration) to identify economic, social, and political reasons for leaving the South and for choosing northern and midwestern cities. Using this information, they complete a graphic organizer by recording three push factors and three pull factors. Then, using a digital map tool, they draw arrows to indicate the general migration paths from the South to the Northeast, Midwest, and West Coast.
Teacher MovesUse the provided list of possible push and pull factors to check student entries in the organizer and to clarify misunderstandings about conditions in the South and opportunities in the North and Midwest. As students work on the migration map, guide them to show broad regional movements from across the South toward major northern, midwestern, and some western urban centers, referencing the sample answer map as needed.
Students view an image of Black policemen in New York City and read about how migrants reshaped the cities where they settled. They then use resources such as the video How Did the Great Migration Change America? and the article Jim Crow and the Great Migration to investigate the effects of the Great Migration on migrants and on their new communities. Drawing on these sources, they complete a graphic organizer that summarizes positive consequences (such as new economic and community opportunities) and negative consequences (such as discrimination and poor living conditions) of the Great Migration.
Teacher MovesRefer to the sample positive and negative consequences to support discussion and to ensure students recognize both the opportunities and hardships migrants experienced. Use student responses in the organizer to prompt comparison between different types of consequences and to reinforce how the Great Migration affected both individuals and urban communities.
Students examine an image of an apartment building in a Chicago African American neighborhood and read explanatory text about rapid urbanization in the early 1900s, including population growth in cities like New York and the environmental strain caused by overcrowding, inadequate sanitation, and pollution. They study a chart titled “The First Great Migration, 1910–1940: African American Population Growth in Ten Cities with Largest Black Population in 1940” to see how Black urban populations expanded. Students then read selected paragraphs from The City and the Natural Environment to learn how urban growth affected water systems, air quality, temperature (“heat islands”), and the spread of suburbs. Using evidence from these readings and the population chart, they post a written explanation to a class wall describing how the Great Migration and rapid urban growth impacted the physical environment in cities.
Teacher MovesHighlight one or more strong student explanations to share with the class, using them to anchor a discussion about the environmental consequences of urban growth. Extend thinking by asking students to consider predictions of a new “environmental Great Migration” driven by climate change, and prompt them to identify possible modern push and pull factors related to water shortages, fires, extreme storms, and flooding.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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