Immigration Project: Push and Pull factors
Have you ever wondered why people left their native lands and moved to a new country? Throughout history, people and animals have migrated. The reasons for their movements have varied greatly. In this project, you will:
•Select a native country that was a common homeland for immigrants entering the United States in the mid- 1800s-early 1900s
•Read primary documents that detail their reasons for leaving (push factors)
•Read primary documents that detail the reasons why America was appealing (pull factors)
•Locate the native country and entry point in the US on a map, and draw a line to show the path most immigrants took
•Read secondary documents that give additional information about the time period, journey, and the immigration process
Showing what you know:
Each student is responsible for contributing one element of the final product. However, every student must be knowledgeable about all elements of the project. You must work together to proofread each item, suggest ideas to other members of the group, and make sure that you are in agreement about the content and quality of each piece of the final project.
•Map maker- find a map of Europe before World War I and locate the country of origin. Then, research to find out the common routes that immigrants used to go from that country to America. Draw or print a map that shows the route they took, including the port of departure, entry point in the US, and any land routes they may have used. Be ready to explain how the immigrants got from their homeland to America and what challenges they may have faced on the journey.
•Push factors- read primary and secondary documents about the conditions in the homeland (native country) at the time of the greatest emigration. What factors made the people want to leave their homeland? Create a list of factors and/or images that detail why people felt that they needed to leave.
•Pull factors- read primary and secondary documents about America at this time. What benefits did immigrants think that they would have if they came to America? Create a list and/or images that detail why people wanted to come to the US.
•Graphs and charts- use numerical data to create a graph or chart that shows the number of immigrants that entered the US from your country. This may include a line graph that shows how the number changed over time, or a bar graph that compares the number coming from your researched country to the number of immigrants from other countries. You must include a key, title, and appropriate labels.
•Presentation coordinator- you must aid each member in the research process and help to create a poster or visual aid that includes the information of all group members. It is your job to make sure that each person is ready to present their ideas; stays focused, and is able to locate the resources they need to be successful. You are responsible for coordinating the presentation, and you must fill in if someone is absent on the day of the presentation.
Presentation checklist:
-Map including the route that immigrants took, names of key cities and countries, and a key
- push factors: list of reasons people left their native land, including details and/or pictures that explain the situation in their native land
-pull factors: list of reasons that people found America appealing, including details and/or pictures that explain why this country was drawing people to its shores
- graph or chart: includes data about the number of immigrants during a set time period, and appropriate labels, title, key etc.
-poster or visual aid is neat, grammatically correct, and visually appealing
- each member has rehearsed what they want to share and knows what order they are going to speak
- all research is recorded on a piece of looseleaf with the student’s name on it and is ready to be turned in for an individual portion of the project grade
Criterion being assessed: B, C, D
Due Date: ______