Lesson 2. Push and Pull Factors
Learning Objectives
Analyze primary source documents and images from the first wave of the Great Migration (ca. 1917).
Teacher Materials
Student Materials
Activities
- Pair-Share primary source reading
- Distribute copies of the double-sided Document Analysis Sheet B, designed for sharing Comparison Letters.
- Students find a classmate with different Letter from the South. Form pairs.
- Share analysis from Primary Document Reading activity, Lesson 1.
- Use Document Analysis Sheet B to take notes on comparison letters.
- Repeat for two or more comparison letters, using the opposite side of Document Analysis Sheet B. (Provide extra copies as necessary)
- Discussion: push and pull factors
- Volunteers generate a list of Push Factors, Pull Factors, and Enablers, reading evidence from the letter for each item.
- List is compiled on the board (include city and state)
- Students copy the list into their notes
- Discuss: What would migrants who made the trip North say in a letter to relatives?
- What happened when they got there? Was it what they expected?
- How did they feel?
- Interpreting primary sources: guided analysis
- Distribute copies of Letter From Chicago and Document Analysis Sheet C
- Volunteer reads letter aloud; everyone else reads along
- Underline push factors, circle pull factors, and bracket enablers. Students should notice that ONLY pull factors are discussed in this letter
- Were you correct in your predictions about this letter? Does the author mention anything negative about Chicago?
- What might by MISSING from this letter?
Homework
Complete Document Analysis Sheet C