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History

Why Do People Move?

Overview

Students explore why people have moved throughout history, connecting ancient migrations to more recent examples.

Learning Objective
Students understand that migration has been a constant feature of human history and can explain historical push and pull factors.

Resources needed

  • None

Lesson stages

0 / 7 done
  1. 1 Ask: has anyone in your family moved from another place? Why?
  2. 2 Introduce the idea that humans have always migrated — from the earliest times.
  3. 3 Give historical examples: people moving from drought areas, following trade routes, escaping conflict.
  4. 4 Introduce push factors (reasons to leave) and pull factors (reasons to go somewhere specific).
  5. 5 Students sort a list of reasons into push or pull: famine, better land, war, opportunity, family.
  6. 6 Discuss: is migration in history the same as migration today?
  7. 7 Ask: how does migration change both the people who move and the places they go to?

Tap a step to mark it as done.

Variations

  • Focus on one specific historical migration relevant to the local context.
  • Map a migration route using a simple sketch map.
  • Debate: was migration in history mostly voluntary or forced?
More information

Teach: migrate, migration, push factor, pull factor, route, settlement, diaspora. Connect to geography — these concepts link directly to geography curriculum work.

Start with personal or local migration stories before moving to larger historical migrations.

Can students give one push and one pull factor from a historical migration? Can they explain how migration affected both the migrants and the destination?

Entirely discussion-based. No resources needed. Draw a simple sketch map in soil to show a migration route.

Students think migration is a modern problem. Establishing that humans have always migrated — from earliest prehistory — is the core conceptual shift.

Migration is one of the most important forces in human history. Understanding its historical dimensions builds empathy and context for contemporary migration discussions.

Activity details
Primary Medium 25 minutes no prep Small Group, Whole Class Indoor & Outdoor
Topics
Migration World History Push And Pull Factors