People on the Move: Discovering Demography and Migration
Materials Needed
- Paper or notebook
- Pencils, colored pencils, or markers
- World map, atlas, or digital map
- Sticky notes or small pieces of paper
- Timer
- Optional: computer or tablet for a short map or migration video
- Optional: printed cards with country names and migration situations
Lesson Overview
Age: 12 years old
Context: Homeschool, classroom, or one-to-one tutoring
Suggested time: 75–90 minutes, with optional breaks
Main topics: Demography, population, migration, push factors, pull factors, and population change
Learning Objectives
By the end of the lesson, the learner will be able to:
- Explain demography in simple words.
- Use at least five key terms: population, birth rate, death rate, migration, immigrant, emigrant, push factor, and pull factor.
- Identify at least two reasons why people migrate.
- Distinguish between an immigrant and an emigrant.
- Read and discuss a simple population or migration example.
- Answer questions and give a short presentation in English.
- Show what they already know about demography before learning new content.
Success Criteria
The learner is successful when they can:
- Give a clear definition of demography using their own words.
- Correctly use at least four lesson vocabulary words.
- Give two push factors and two pull factors.
- Answer most questions with understandable English.
- Give a 1–3 minute presentation with a beginning, middle, and ending.
Key Vocabulary
- Demography
- The study of people and populations.
- Population
- All the people who live in a place.
- Birth rate
- The number of babies born in a population during a period of time.
- Death rate
- The number of people who die in a population during a period of time.
- Migration
- Moving from one place to another to live, work, study, or be safe.
- Immigrant
- A person who moves into a new country or place.
- Emigrant
- A person who leaves their country or place to live somewhere else.
- Push factor
- A problem that encourages people to leave a place.
- Pull factor
- Something attractive that encourages people to move to a place.
Introduction: Hook and Pre-Assessment
1. The Suitcase Question — 5 minutes
Show the learner an imaginary suitcase or ask them to imagine packing one.
Say:
“Imagine that you must move to another country tomorrow. What three things would you put in your suitcase? Why might you move?”
Allow the learner to draw, write, or answer aloud. Ask one or two follow-up questions:
- “Would you want to move? Why or why not?”
- “What could make a place attractive?”
- “What could make people want to leave?”
2. Student-Friendly Objectives — 2 minutes
Tell the learner:
“Today we will learn how demographers study people and places. We will explore why people move, learn important words, and make a short presentation in English.”
3. Previous Knowledge Check: What Do You Know? — 8–10 minutes
Ask the learner to answer without looking up information. They may answer by speaking, writing, or drawing.
- What does the word population mean?
- What do you think demography studies?
- What is migration?
- Why do people move to a different city or country?
- What is the difference between a tourist and a migrant?
- Can a person migrate inside one country? Give an example.
- What might make people leave a place?
- What might attract people to a new place?
- What information might we collect to study a population?
- What questions would you like to answer about migration?
Record the results: Make three columns labeled Knows, Almost Knows, and Needs to Learn. Place the learner’s ideas in the columns. Do not correct every answer immediately; use the answers to guide the lesson.
English Level Check: A1–B1
This check is informal. It helps identify the learner’s approximate speaking and presentation level. Do not grade the learner on geography knowledge. Give extra thinking time and allow simple notes.
Part A: Questions — 8–10 minutes
Ask the questions in order. Stop when the questions become too difficult. Record examples of the learner’s English.
A1 Questions
- What is your name?
- Where do you live?
- What countries do you know?
- Do you like learning about maps? Why?
- Where would you like to visit?
- What can you see on a map?
A2 Questions
- Why do some people move to another city?
- What can people find in a new country?
- What are some good things about moving?
- What problems can migrants have?
- How is your town different from a big city?
- What information can we learn from a population chart?
B1 Questions
- Why do you think people migrate even when moving is difficult?
- How can migration change a city or country?
- Do you think migration is usually a choice, a necessity, or both? Explain.
- What could governments do to help new migrants?
- How might birth rates and death rates affect a country’s population?
- What is one advantage and one challenge of migration?
Part B: English Level Presentation — 5–8 minutes
Ask the learner to choose one topic:
- A country they would like to visit
- A place where people move to find work or education
- A family, fictional character, or historical person who moved
- A city with a growing population
Give the learner 3–5 minutes to prepare notes. They may draw a map or use sentence starters.
Presentation Prompts
- “This place is…”
- “People may move there because…”
- “One challenge may be…”
- “I think migration is…”
- “My question is…”
Informal English Level Guide
| Approximate Level | Evidence to Look For |
|---|---|
| A1 | Uses single words or short memorized sentences; needs frequent support; answers simple personal questions. |
| A2 | Uses simple connected sentences; can describe a place and give basic reasons; makes grammar mistakes but is usually understandable. |
| B1 | Explains reasons and opinions; connects ideas with words such as because, but, so, however; can speak for 1–3 minutes with some independence. |
Important: The learner may show different levels in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Record the strongest and weakest areas separately when possible.
Body: Learn and Practice
I Do: What Is Demography? — 10 minutes
Explain:
“Demography is the study of people and populations. Demographers ask questions such as: How many people live in a place? How old are they? How many babies are born? How many people die? Where do people move? Why do they move?”
Draw a simple population information web:
- Number of people
- Age
- Births
- Deaths
- Jobs and education
- Migration
Explain that a population can change in three main ways:
- People are born.
- People die.
- People move in or out.
Quick Check: Ask, “If many people move into a town, what might happen to the population?” Ask the learner to give two possible answers, such as “The population may grow” or “The town may need more homes and schools.”
We Do: Migration Detective — 12 minutes
Draw two arrows on paper:
- An arrow pointing away from a place: push factor
- An arrow pointing toward a place: pull factor
Explain:
“A push factor makes a person want or need to leave. A pull factor makes a new place seem attractive.”
Read each situation. Decide together whether it is a push factor, a pull factor, or both.
- A family cannot find safe housing.
- A student receives a scholarship at a university.
- A worker finds a better job in another city.
- A drought makes it difficult to grow food.
- A person wants to live near relatives.
- A town has excellent schools and hospitals.
Use the sentence frames:
- “This is a push factor because…”
- “This is a pull factor because…”
- “A person might move from ___ to ___ because…”
Vocabulary Check: Ask:
- “If Ana leaves Mexico to live in Canada, what is Ana in Mexico?” An emigrant.
- “What is Ana in Canada?” An immigrant.
Hands-On Activity: Human Migration Map — 10 minutes
Use a world map or draw a simple map with three places: Village A, City B, and Country C.
- Choose one starting place and one destination.
- Draw an arrow showing the movement.
- Write one push factor and one pull factor.
- Decide whether the movement is local, national, or international.
- Explain the journey using two or three complete sentences.
Example: “A family moves from Village A to City B. A lack of jobs is a push factor. More jobs and schools are pull factors. This is national migration.”
We Do: Population Change Challenge — 8 minutes
Present this imaginary example:
“Green Valley has 1,000 people. During one year, 30 babies are born, 10 people die, 50 people move in, and 20 people move away.”
Work together to answer:
- How many people were added by births?
- How many people were lost through deaths?
- How many more people moved in than moved away?
- Did the population grow or shrink?
Optional calculation: 1,000 + 30 − 10 + 50 − 20 = 1,050 people.
Quick Check: Ask the learner to explain the answer without using the equation.
You Do: Choose a Demography Project — 15–20 minutes
The learner chooses one of the following projects.
Option 1: Migration Story
Create a short fictional story about a person or family who moves. Include:
- Starting place
- New place
- One push factor
- One pull factor
- One challenge and one positive experience
Option 2: Population Investigator
Choose a town, city, or country. Make a simple fact sheet or poster with:
- Where it is
- Why people might live there
- Why people might leave
- Whether its population might grow or shrink
- Two questions a demographer might ask
Option 3: Design a New City
Design a city that attracts new residents. Draw or describe:
- Homes
- Schools
- Jobs
- Transportation
- Healthcare
- One possible problem caused by rapid population growth
Option 4: Migration News Reporter
Prepare a short news report answering:
- Who is moving?
- Where are they moving from and to?
- Why are they moving?
- What might change in the places they leave and enter?
Presentation — 5–10 minutes
The learner presents the project for 1–3 minutes. They may speak, read prepared notes, use a poster, draw a map, or record an audio or video presentation.
After the presentation, ask:
- “What is the most important idea in your project?”
- “Which vocabulary word did you use?”
- “What question do you still have?”
Assessment
Formative Assessment
- Listen to the previous knowledge answers.
- Check understanding of vocabulary during the Migration Detective activity.
- Ask the learner to explain push and pull factors in their own words.
- Check whether the learner can identify a population change in the Green Valley challenge.
- Use thumbs up, thumbs down, or colored cards for quick responses.
- Give specific feedback, such as: “Your reason is clear. Try using the word pull factor in your next sentence.”
Summative Assessment: Project and Presentation Rubric
| Area | Developing | Successful | Excellent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demography understanding | Gives a partly correct explanation. | Explains that demography studies people and populations. | Explains demography and connects it to population change or migration. |
| Migration ideas | Names one reason people move. | Explains at least two reasons, including a push or pull factor. | Explains several reasons and discusses possible effects. |
| Vocabulary | Uses one or two key words with support. | Uses at least four key words correctly. | Uses key words naturally and accurately. |
| English communication | Uses words or short sentences; needs frequent help. | Uses understandable sentences and gives basic explanations. | Connects ideas, gives reasons, and expresses an opinion clearly. |
| Creativity and application | Completes some parts of the task. | Applies ideas to a realistic example. | Creates an imaginative, detailed, and thoughtful example. |
Differentiation and Adaptations
For an A1 Learner or a Learner Who Needs Support
- Use pictures, gestures, a map, and word cards.
- Teach only five core words: population, migration, immigrant, push factor, pull factor.
- Allow one-word answers, drawings, or labeled maps.
- Use sentence frames: “People move because ___.” and “A pull factor is ___.”
- Let the learner present for 30–60 seconds with notes.
- Read questions aloud and repeat them using simpler words.
For an A2 Learner
- Encourage complete sentences and simple explanations.
- Ask the learner to compare two places.
- Require at least four vocabulary words in the presentation.
- Use a simple table to organize causes and effects.
For a B1 Learner or Advanced Learner
- Ask the learner to discuss both positive and negative effects of migration.
- Introduce the idea of voluntary and forced migration.
- Ask the learner to interpret a population graph or create one from imaginary data.
- Require linking words such as because, although, however, therefore, and as a result.
- Invite the learner to make a recommendation for a city receiving many new migrants.
For Different Learning Contexts
- Homeschool: Use a family map, a local town, or a personal travel story as the starting point.
- Classroom: Put learners in pairs or teams for the Migration Detective activity.
- Online: Use a shared digital map, online sticky notes, or a recorded presentation.
- Training context: Connect migration to jobs, education, housing, and community services.
Conclusion: Closure and Recap
1. Three-Sentence Recap — 5 minutes
Ask the learner to complete these sentences:
- “Demography is…”
- “People migrate because…”
- “One push factor is ___, and one pull factor is ___.”
2. Exit Ticket — 3 minutes
The learner writes or says:
- One new word I learned is…
- One important idea is…
- One question I still have is…
3. Final Teacher or Parent Feedback
Give one positive comment and one next step.
Example: “You clearly explained why the family moved. Next time, try to use immigrant and emigrant correctly in two different sentences.”
Optional Follow-Up Activities
- Interview a family member about a move they made, if they feel comfortable sharing.
- Make a family or community migration map using only information the family agrees to share.
- Find a population chart and write three observations.
- Write a diary entry from the perspective of a person moving to a new city.
- Research one city’s population and explain why it may be growing or shrinking.