Statehood & Growth · Weeks 19-27

Immigration and Internal Migration

Students investigate the stories of different groups of people who moved to our state from other countries and other parts of the U.S.

About This Topic

Immigration and migration are the stories of the people who made our state their home. Students explore why different groups of people moved here, from other countries and from other parts of the U.S., and the challenges they faced when they arrived. This topic connects to standards about cultural diversity and the human story of our state.

Students learn that our state is a 'melting pot' (or a 'salad bowl') of different cultures, each of which has shaped our food, music, and traditions. They also explore the 'push and pull' factors that drive people to move. This topic comes alive when students can use collaborative investigations to 'trace' the journey of a specific group of people and discuss the impact they had on their new home.

Active Learning Ideas

Inquiry Circle: Push and Pull Factors

Groups are assigned a specific group of people who moved to our state (e.g., Irish immigrants, African Americans during the Great Migration). They must identify the 'push' factors (why they left) and 'pull' factors (why they came here).

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

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Gallery Walk: Cultural Contributions

Post images and descriptions of different cultural traditions in our state (e.g., a specific food, a type of music, a festival). Students walk through and identify which group of people brought that tradition to our state.

⏱ 30 min·Individual

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Think-Pair-Share: A New Home

Students think about what it would be like to move to a new place where they didn't know anyone or speak the language. They pair up to discuss what would be the hardest part and share with the class.

⏱ 20 min·Pairs

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Everyone who moved here did so by choice.

What to Teach Instead

Explain that some people, like enslaved Africans or some refugees, were forced to move against their will. A 'Push and Pull' investigation can help students understand the different reasons people move.

Common Misconception

Immigrants only moved to the big cities.

What to Teach Instead

Teach that many immigrants also moved to rural areas to farm, mine, or work in the timber industry. Showing a map of where different groups settled can help students see the full picture.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between immigration and migration?

Immigration is when people move to a new country. Migration is when people move from one part of a country to another. Both have played a huge role in our state's history and growth.

What are 'push' and 'pull' factors?

Push factors are things that make people want to leave their home, like war, poverty, or lack of freedom. Pull factors are things that draw people to a new place, like jobs, land, or the promise of a better life.

How have different cultures shaped our state?

Different groups have brought their own unique foods, music, languages, and traditions, making our state a more vibrant and interesting place to live. You can see these influences in our festivals, our restaurants, and even our street names.

How can active learning help students understand immigration and migration?

Active learning through 'Push and Pull' investigations and cultural gallery walks allows students to see the human stories behind the statistics. By exploring the motivations and contributions of different groups, they develop a more empathetic and nuanced understanding of how our state's diverse population came to be.

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