Global Migration Patterns

A lesson plan from “Making Population Real” by the Population Reference Bureau

Supported by the World Population Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation

Today’s Agenda

1. Introduce objectives and teaching standards

2. Briefly introduce United States’ immigration history

3. Graph data on immigration to United States

4. Construct population pyramids of the U.S. and immigrant populations

5. Compare and discuss what the data reveals

6. Introduce Making Population Real and PRB

Making Population Real – Lesson Plan 7:

Global Migration PatternsIssues Immigration

Ethnicity

Population Concepts

Composition and structure of population Immigrants

Tools Age-sex graph (population pyramid) Line graph

Objectives

To understand immigration to the United States To identify major international migration streams To evaluate the impact of migration on U.S.

population structure

Teaching Standards

AP Geography Standard Addressed,

Unit II– Population Unit:

C. Population movement2. Major voluntary and involuntary migrations at different scales

AP and the Advanced Placement Program are registered trademarks of the College Entrance Examination Board which was not involved in the production of these lesson plans.

Brief Highlights of U.S. Immigration History 1820-1920 U.S. encouraged European

immigration; not Chinese or unskilled workers At start of 20th Century U.S. began to regulate

migration with passports, visas, etc. 1920 began national quota system 1965 opened to those immigrants sought by

employers; Asian and Latin American immigration boomed

U.S. Immigration Patterns

Who are the immigrants to the U.S.?

How have they changed over time?

Assignment: Construct a line graph of immigrants from

specific regions to U.S. between 1820-2000

Graphing Instructions

1. Set up a graph with decades 1820-2000 on the horizontal axis

2. For the vertical axis, the scale should be 0 to 5 million (setting the unit at 250,000) to keep all graphs on the same scale

3. Graph the number of immigrants for your assigned region*

* Europe, Asia, North and South Americas, Africa, and Oceania

Patterns of Immigration

What was the main source of immigrants in the 19th century?

What changes in immigration source regions have occurred in the last several decades?

What might account for the shift in immigration source regions?

How might this shift in source regions affect the composition of the United States population?

Population Structure

How are immigrant populations changing the structure of the U.S. population?

Assignment: Construct population pyramids for:

Total U.S. population U.S. immigrant population Hispanic U.S. population

Sample Population Pyramid

Blank Population Pyramid

Discussing Population StructuresCompare the three pyramids:

How do the two minority populations differ from the general population in terms of structure?

How do you explain the differences? What is the impact on the United States

population overall?

Activities

1. Population Movement to the United States Research and discuss background Graph changing rates of immigration to U.S. Map countries of origin and states of destination

2. Immigrants in the United States Create population pyramids Compare and discuss differences

3. People Without a Place to Call Home Research refugee groups worldwide

Making Population Real Lesson Plans Population Fundamentals – Building a

Foundation Populations in the Path of Natural Hazards The Demographic Transition –

A Contemporary Look at a Classic Model HIV/AIDS and Contemporary Population

Dynamics Population Policy – Progress Since Cairo People on the Move Global Migration Patterns

About Making Population Real Free, on-line curricula utilize up-to-date real-

world data and articles from a variety of web-based resources:

United Nations (UNICEF, UNHCR, WHO, etc.) U.S. Census Bureau National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration PRB research and publications

Lead author Martha B. Sharma, a teacher Recipient of the 2006 Geographic Excellence

in Media Award from National Council for Geographic Education

www.prb.org/educators

Population Reference Bureau

Informs people around the world about population, health, and the environment, and empowers them to use that information to advance the well-being of current and future generations.

Analyzes demographic data and research to provide objective, accurate, and up-to-date population information in a format that is easily understood by educators, journalists, and decision makers alike.