Activity 01
Mapping Activity: Push and Pull Factors
Small groups work with maps of the US, marking Southern states with documented push factors such as lynching rates, specific Jim Crow laws, and crop failure data, and marking Northern cities with pull factors including industrial wages and community institutions. Groups trace specific migration routes using primary source accounts and discuss which factors were most frequently cited by migrants themselves.
Explain the 'push' and 'pull' factors that led to the Great Migration.
Facilitation TipDuring the Mapping Activity, have students use different colored markers for push and pull factors so the contrast is visually clear on their maps.
What to look forProvide students with a Venn diagram. Ask them to compare and contrast the experiences of African Americans in the rural South versus Northern cities, listing at least two 'push' factors and two 'pull' factors in the appropriate sections.
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Activity 02
Comparative Document Analysis: Washington vs. Du Bois
Pairs read excerpts from Washington's 1895 Atlanta Exposition Address and Du Bois's 1903 'The Souls of Black Folk.' Students identify each man's proposed path to equality, the underlying assumptions about what was politically possible at the time, and the specific historical context, including year, audience, and political climate, that shaped each argument.
Analyze the challenges and opportunities faced by African Americans in Northern cities.
Facilitation TipFor the Comparative Document Analysis, assign each student one paragraph from Washington and one from Du Bois to annotate before discussing in pairs.
What to look forPose the question: 'Was the North a true land of opportunity for African Americans during the Great Migration?' Facilitate a class discussion where students use evidence from readings and lessons to support their arguments, referencing both challenges and advancements.
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Activity 03
Gallery Walk: Harlem in the 1920s
Stations feature photographs, music descriptions, newspaper headlines, and poetry from the Harlem Renaissance. Students identify how African American cultural production in Northern cities both reflected the Great Migration experience and created new forms of political and artistic expression, noting specific connections between migration and cultural output.
Compare the approaches of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois to achieving racial equality.
Facilitation TipDuring the Gallery Walk, position students in small groups at each station to discuss what they see in the images before rotating.
What to look forPresent students with short biographical excerpts of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois. Ask them to identify one key difference in their philosophies regarding racial uplift and write it in a complete sentence.
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Generate Complete Lesson→A few notes on teaching this unit
Teachers often start with the human stories before explaining the broader trends. This builds empathy first, then layers in analysis. Avoid presenting the Great Migration as a simple success story; instead, highlight both progress and persistent barriers. Research shows that when students analyze primary sources about resistance to migration, they better understand systemic racism beyond individual prejudice.
Successful learning looks like students explaining both structural forces and individual choices behind the Great Migration. They should connect economic, social, and political factors to the lived experiences of migrants and civil rights leaders.
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
During the Mapping Activity, watch for students who assume the Great Migration ended racism entirely. Redirect them by asking them to plot the locations of the 1919 Chicago Race Riot on their maps and discuss why such violence occurred even in Northern cities.
During the Comparative Document Analysis, remind students that Washington’s focus on vocational training was a strategic response to the violent constraints of the 1890s South. Ask them to find evidence in his writing that shows his goals went beyond accommodation to tangible improvements in students’ lives.
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