Push and Pull Migration

Overview

Lesson 3 of 16 continues the unit “Australia’s Transformative Journey”. Students build on last lesson’s understanding of European imperial expansion by examining why Europeans migrated to Australia, focusing on push and pull factors and linking these to economic and social conditions.

Learning intentions

• Students will identify push factors and pull factors driving European migration to Australia.
• Students will explain how economic opportunity and social conditions in Australia could attract migrants.
• Students will connect migration choices to wider historical changes (including industrial and economic shifts in Europe).
• Students will use evidence from short sources to justify claims in a structured response.

Success criteria

• I can list at least 3 push factors and 3 pull factors for European migration to Australia.
• I can describe how a change in Europe (push) could influence decisions to travel.
• I can explain how opportunities in Australia (pull) could shape migrants’ expectations.
• I can justify my push/pull choices using at least two pieces of evidence from class sources.

Curriculum links

• WA9HAKUH1: causes of European imperial expansion and movement of peoples, including economic motives and enabling long-distance travel.
• WA9HAKUH1: seeking new markets, raw materials and trading opportunities that supported European economies.
• WA9HAKUH4: different experiences of colonisers and non-European settlers, using perspectives and evidence about migration.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–8 min · Hook (Migration Fridge Words). Teacher displays 10 key words (e.g. famine, job, freedom, persecution, land, wages, overcrowding, transport, reform, opportunity) and students quickly sort them into “Europe causes leaving” vs “Australia reasons to arrive” on mini whiteboards. Students share one word they chose and why in one sentence.

2. 8–18 min · Direct teach (Push vs Pull). Teacher provides a brief explanation of push factors and pull factors, modelling how to turn a factor into a claim (e.g. “Famine is a push factor because…”) and linking to migrants’ lived realities. Students complete a guided table: “Push factor → effect on people → link to migration” and “Pull factor → what migrants expected → reason it attracted them”.

3. 18–30 min · Source analysis rotation (Evidence for factors). Teacher divides class into 3 groups and each group receives two short, age-appropriate excerpts (one Europe “push” themed, one Australia “pull” themed). Sources include descriptions of economic hardship in Europe and economic/social opportunities associated with colonial life (kept general; no graphic content). Students highlight evidence and record it using sentence frames: “This source shows… because…” and “Therefore, this is a push/pull factor.”

4. 30–40 min · Technology link check (Travel practicality quick tool). Teacher gives a brief recap of why long-distance travel became more feasible during this period (improvements in navigation, shipbuilding, and earlier industrial transport developments). Students match 3 statements to either “push/pull” or “travel feasibility” to ensure they understand that factors explain why migrate, while technology explains why travel was possible.

5. 40–55 min · Constructed response (Justify & connect). Teacher models a short paragraph plan: claim → evidence (from one Europe source) → evidence (from one Australia source) → explanation linking economic and social conditions. Students write a 10–12 sentence response using at least: 3 push factors and 3 pull factors, and one sentence explicitly connecting economic/social conditions to expectations.

6. 55–60 min · Exit ticket (One-factor reasoning). Students answer: “Choose one push and one pull factor and explain how they worked together to influence migration.” Teacher collects for quick review and to form next lesson groupings.

Resources

• Slide/board with push–pull sorting categories and word bank
• Sets of 6 short excerpts (3 Europe-themed, 3 Australia-themed) on printed sheets
• Highlighters, student evidence recording sheet (push/pull table)
• Mini whiteboards and markers
• Technology link statement cards (mix of correct/incorrect statements for matching)
• Sentence starters for evidence (“This source suggests…”, “Therefore…”)
• Timers for rotation and writing
• Exit ticket slips

Assessment

• Formative: observation of push/pull sorting accuracy and reasoning during Hook
• Formative: evidence highlighting and completion of sentence frames in rotation
• Summative-for-today: constructed paragraph checked against success criteria (teacher rubric-light checklist)
• Exit ticket: one push + one pull factor justified with explanation

Differentiation

• Support: provide partially completed push/pull tables and sentence starters; allow students to work in pairs during rotation
• Support for writing: offer a paragraph scaffold with prompts (Claim, Europe evidence, Australia evidence, Explanation)
• Extension: challenge students to rank push factors (most influential to least) and justify ranking using evidence
• EAL/SEN: pre-teach 6–8 key terms (push, pull, opportunity, wages, persecution, famine) with brief examples; allow oral rehearsal before writing
• Adjustment: for students needing more time, allow shortened writing (minimum 8 sentences) while maintaining evidence requirements