Push-Pull Britain Migration

Overview

Students complete a timed in-class assessment based on a previous unit. They then explore socio-economic conditions in Britain during the 18th and 19th centuries and connect these to push factors for mass migration through a creative, collaborative activity with no written elements.

Learning intentions

• Students will demonstrate understanding of causes and effects of imperial expansion and/or population movements from a previous topic through an in-class assessment.
• Students will identify key socio-economic conditions in Britain that acted as push factors for migration.
• Students will connect push factors to likely destinations and explain effects on people and communities.
• Students will collaborate to create an oral/visual narrative that shows the migration process without using written work.

Success criteria

• I can explain at least two causes of population movement (push factors) and one effect on people or societies.
• I can use evidence from provided materials to support my claims.
• I can clearly articulate a link between Britain’s conditions and people deciding to migrate.
• I can contribute to a group product and present it to the class using spoken language only.

Curriculum links

• AC9HH9K01 — causes and effects of European imperial expansion and movement of peoples, including different responses to colonisation and migration.
• AC9HH9K014 — changing population movements and settlement patterns from 1750 to 1900, including push factors (e.g., industrial change, famine, persecution/forced migration).
• AC9HH9K15 — short-, medium- and long-term effects of population movements such as new ideas, transport, demographic change, and reforms.
• HASS skills: questioning, using evidence, and communicating findings using appropriate forms for an audience.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Settle and clarify expectations. Teacher briefly reviews the learning focus and assessment rules for the first 30 minutes, including time limits and how answers should be presented (students may use the allowed format from the assessment sheet). Students access the assessment and ask clarifying questions.

2. 5–35 min · In-class assessment (previous topic). Teacher supervises quietly, monitors time, and provides procedural support only (e.g., how to submit). Students complete the assessment independently.

3. 35–38 min · Transition to migration task. Teacher collects assessment materials and introduces the next task: “Britain to Elsewhere—Push Factors Showdown” and explains the “no written elements” constraint (no writing, no texting, no labels written on cards). Students move into groups of 4–5.

4. 38–52 min · Creative collaboration (no writing). Teacher provides stimulus materials (images, short spoken prompts, and teacher-read summaries) about Britain’s socio-economic conditions and facilitates setup. Students work as a group to create a 2–3 minute performance using:

• a “Push Factors Stage” (3–5 reasons expressed through tableau poses and spoken lines),
• a “Decision Moment” (a freeze-frame where characters decide to leave),
• a “Journey Web” (roles like worker, child, ship passenger, family) moving pieces/cards without writing, and
• a “New Life Response” (how people adapt in destinations, stated orally). The group must explicitly include: at least two push factors, one effect on migrants/communities, and at least one plausible pull/destination idea.

5. 52–58 min · Gallery presentations. Teacher runs a quick rotation so each group performs once, while the class listens for the required elements. Students present and classmates record only oral/visual evidence using a teacher-provided checklist sheet (checked for presence/clarity—no writing required, can be ticking or circling).

6. 58–60 min · Exit reflection (spoken or one-word, no writing). Teacher asks: “Name one push factor you are confident about and one effect of migration.” Students respond orally or using a permitted one-word verbal share.

Resources

• In-class assessment sheet (previous topic) with clear instructions and submission method
• Timer visible to students
• Group materials: picture cards depicting factories, urban poverty, harvest failure/food scarcity, discrimination/harsh laws, transport/ships, and destination scenes
• Role cards (worker, family member, child, ship crew/agent, return visitor) — printed with icons only, not text-heavy
• “No writing” signage for desk display
• Teacher prompt cards to support linking push factors to decisions and effects
• Class listening checklist (teacher prints; students may use ticks/circles if permitted)

Assessment

• Summative-in-class assessment (previous topic) marked using your usual school criteria and time-bound expectations
• Formative checks during the creative task:
• Teacher circulates with an observation checklist for: correct push-factor identification, evidence use from provided materials, and clarity of cause-effect links
• Class listening checklist during presentations for required elements
• Exit check: oral responses aligned to push factor + effect

Differentiation

• Support:
• Provide sentence frames for spoken language (e.g., “One push factor was… because…”, “A likely effect was…”) printed on a handout for groups to read aloud, not to copy/write
• Offer a smaller set of cards for students needing scaffolding, with teacher-led modelling of one group’s performance
• Extension:
• Challenge groups to include one short “counterpoint” (e.g., why some people stayed) and explain it orally
• Ask one student per group to justify a choice using a specific image from the set
• EAL/SEN:
• Use visual prompts and role-based participation so language demands are distributed
• Allow students to contribute through movement/posing while another student explains orally if needed