HASS Year 6 Australian History Migration - Push and Pull Factors

This a great hands-on activity to help your students understand push and pull factors and their impact on migration.

Australia has a rich history of migration and it is wonderful that students in Year 6 are able to explore and celebrate our multicultural heritage. One important part of this exploration is understanding why people leave their home countries and come to Australia. The Australian Curriculum requires Year 6 students to compare the Push and Pull Factors that have caused people to move to Australia (ACHASSK136) and this resource is designed specifically for that purpose.

There are several activities in this resource pack. Firstly students are able to define what Push and Pull Factors are in their own words on the luggage labels. I recommend watching Justin Howard’s Youtube video called Human Migration: Push and Pull Factors. This very simple video is a great way to generate discussion to allow students to develop their understanding of the four categories of Push and Pull Factors which are Social, Political, Economic and Environmental.

The second task requires students to sort short scenarios in to Push or Pull factors and to explain which of the four categories they relate to. They then cut these scenarios out and put them in the pockets created by cutting, folding and gluing the suitcase pockets in to their book. Each pocket should have four scenarios in it.

The final activity allows students to record the examples of push and pull factors in each category and to explore this further through newspaper or internet research to find primary or secondary sources that are examples of situations that may lead to migration. Students are also required to record their information source. This could also be used as a mini project requiring students to print or cutout their news story and present their own understanding either on a poster or in an oral presentation.

This resource has been designed to cover the following Australian Curriculum Content Descriptors:
Stories of groups of people who migrated to Australia since Federation (including from ONE country of the Asia region) and reasons they migrated (ACHASSK136)
Examine primary and secondary sources to determine their origin and purpose (ACHASSI126)
Examine different viewpoints on actions, events, issues and phenomena in the past and present (ACHASSI127)

Australia
Australian History
Year 6
Australian Curriculum
Migration
Push and Pull Factors
History