Activity Overview
People immigrate to other countries for many reasons. Some may immigrate for more opportunities and better education, and some may immigrate to be with family or leave a place where life has become bad and oppressive. For this activity, students will create a spider map that illustrates three reasons why people immigrate. This is a perfect introductory activity for an immigration unit, and can also be used as a review at the end!
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Due Date:
Objective: Create a spider map describing three reasons why people immigrate.
Student Instructions:
- Click “Start Assignment”.
- Write a reason for immigrating in each heading.
- Create an illustration that represents each heading using appropriate scenes, characters, and items.
- Write a short summary of each heading/reason in the space below the illustration.
Lesson Plan Reference
Activity Overview
People immigrate to other countries for many reasons. Some may immigrate for more opportunities and better education, and some may immigrate to be with family or leave a place where life has become bad and oppressive. For this activity, students will create a spider map that illustrates three reasons why people immigrate. This is a perfect introductory activity for an immigration unit, and can also be used as a review at the end!
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Due Date:
Objective: Create a spider map describing three reasons why people immigrate.
Student Instructions:
- Click “Start Assignment”.
- Write a reason for immigrating in each heading.
- Create an illustration that represents each heading using appropriate scenes, characters, and items.
- Write a short summary of each heading/reason in the space below the illustration.
Lesson Plan Reference
How Tos about Reasons to Immigrate
Incorporate primary sources to deepen students’ understanding of immigration.
Engage students by providing real-world documents, photos, or letters from immigrants. This approach helps students connect personally to historical events and see multiple perspectives on why people move to new countries.
Choose age-appropriate primary sources.
Select materials such as simple letters, diary entries, or photographs that are accessible for your students’ reading level. Preview each source to ensure it is clear and relevant to your lesson objectives.
Guide students in analyzing a primary source.
Model how to look closely at a photo or read a short letter. Ask students to notice details, identify emotions, and infer reasons for immigrating. Use sentence starters to prompt their thinking, like “I notice…” or “I wonder…”
Connect primary sources to the spider map activity.
Ask students to add new reasons or examples they discover from primary sources to their spider maps. Encourage them to illustrate or summarize these new ideas in their own words.
Facilitate a class discussion on students’ findings.
Invite students to share what they learned from the primary sources. Highlight how real stories add depth to understanding why people immigrate.
Frequently Asked Questions about Reasons to Immigrate
What are three common reasons why people immigrate?
People often immigrate for better opportunities, to join or reunite with family, or to escape difficult or oppressive conditions in their home country.
How can I teach students about reasons for immigration in a simple way?
A spider map activity is an easy way to introduce immigration. Students list three reasons for immigration, add illustrations for each, and write a short summary below each heading.
What is a spider map and how does it help with teaching immigration?
A spider map is a visual organizer where students place a main idea in the center and connect related reasons or details around it. It helps students clearly organize and understand different reasons for immigration.
Why is understanding reasons for immigration important for students?
Learning about why people immigrate helps students develop empathy, understand diverse backgrounds, and connect to social studies topics about movement and cultural change.
What are some quick activities for teaching immigration to grades 4-6?
Try activities like a spider map, class discussions, storytelling, or drawing illustrations of different reasons people move to new countries. These are engaging and easy for grades 4-6.
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