THE GREAT MIGRATION CURRICULUM
The Great Migration:
African
American Life and Change in the Early 20th Century
Driving
Question: In the early 20th
century, hundreds of thousands of African Americans left their homes
and went to live somewhere else. Where were these migrants
leaving from, where were they going, and why? What were the
factors that motivated and enabled this migration?
Summary: The unit on the Great
Migration will examine the first wave of migration between 1900 and
1930. Students will observe and consider the reasons for the
changing distribution of African American population in the US in the
early decades of the 20th century, and the impact that migration had on
race relations in both rural South and urban North.
Objectives: Students will...
- Make observations, inferences, and questions about the first wave
of the Great Migration (1900-1920)
- Analyze primary source documents and census data maps
- In pairs, study a Southern county in depth and compare it to
surrounding counties and to a county in the North
- Present a historical narrative account of the
Great Migration
Materials:
Students will be given an interactive
mapping environment and an online
library of
primary source documents to explore. Click to download Complete
Materials for Classroom Teachers.
Activities:
Lesson
One (Classroom)
·
Introduction:
Photo discussion; Define internal migration; Great Migration
·
Concept web: African
American life in early 1900s
·
MyWorld Map Discussion: Compare 1900, 1920 African American
Population
·
Assign County Pairs & Letters: Explanation of
Great Migration assignment
o
HOMEWORK: Letters from Migrants
+ Document Sheet (Due by Lesson
Three)
Lesson
Two (Media Lab)
·
Computer Tutorial: How to use My
World
·
Pair Work in MyWorld: Find counties; Complete County
Comparison Sheet
·
Whole Class Discussion: Making Good Observations from Data Maps
o
HOMEWORK: Observations/Comparisons
column (Due by Lesson Four)
Lesson
Three (Classroom)
·
Pair
Work with
Letters:
Find push-pull factors, underline words/phrases
·
Whole
Class
Discussion:
Volunteers share Letters; Generate list of push-pull factors and
enablers
·
Guided Document Analysis: Read & Underline Cook letter; Discuss
·
Document-Data
Connections: Compare wage and
job
data; Connect maps to letters
o
HOMEWORK: Returning Soldiers + Document
Sheet (Due by Lesson Five)
Lesson
Four (Media Lab)
·
New
Layer
Introduction:
Show AfrPop Change; Southern ‘pull counties’
·
Data
Capture
Tutorial 1: Screen captures
·
County Pairs Work in MyWorld: Work on Data Capture Sheet
o
HOMEWORK: Begin Historical Narrative
and study for Final Quiz
Lesson Five
(Media Lab)
·
Data
Capture
Tutorial 2: Letter links
&
copying text
·
County Pairs Work in MyWorld: Complete Data Capture Sheet
·
Writing Assignment: Students begin individual work on Historical
Narrative
·
Save/Print
Work
o
HOMEWORK: Finish Historical Narrative
and study for Final Quiz
Lesson Six (Classroom or Media Lab)
·
Assessment: Write
Historical Narrative and take Final Quiz
·
Extension: Document Analysis: Read & Discuss Causes of
the Chicago
Race Riot
