You will learn
- Define migration, migrant, refugee, internal migration, urbanisation.
- Explain why people move.
- Explain effects on places.
- Show kindness to newcomers.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- People move for many reasons.
- Moving affects the places left and joined.
- Many people move within their own country.
- Newcomers deserve kindness and rights.
Words to know
moving from one place to live in another
a person who has had to leave their country to find safety
moving from one part of a country to another
the growth of towns and cities as more people move there
1. Discover: The road to the city
Mr Cole tells of a made-up family who move from a village to a larger town for school and work. “People move for many reasons: jobs, study, family, safety or a changing climate,” he says. “Moving can bring new chances but also challenges, like finding housing and making friends. Towns grow, which we call urbanisation. Some people have to flee danger and are called refugees, and they are protected by international rules.”
Think: How can a class make a new student feel welcome?
2. Understand: Migration
Idea 1: Why people move
Migration is moving to live in another place. People migrate for work, study, family, better services, or to escape danger or hardship. Internal migration happens inside a country, such as from villages to towns, and it drives urbanisation. Some move for a season, others for life.
Idea 2: Effects
Migration affects places left behind and places joined. It can bring skills, ideas and money sent home, but it can also strain housing and services or leave villages with fewer workers. Communities work together to share benefits and solve problems.
Idea 3: Kindness and rights
A refugee is a person who has been forced to leave their country for safety. All people have rights and deserve respect. Welcoming newcomers, learning from them and correcting unfair ideas help communities grow stronger together.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Define
Migration.
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: Moving to live elsewhere.
Example 2 (We do it together): Define
Urbanisation.
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: Growth of towns and cities.
Example 3 (You try): Name
A reason for moving.
Show the steps and answer
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: Work or study.
Did you know?
Most migration in West Africa happens within the region, not to other continents.
Why this matters
Understanding migration builds empathy and helps us welcome and learn from newcomers.
4. Explore: Welcome plan
Use a made-up family. List three reasons they moved, two challenges, and three ways a class or community could make them feel welcome. Share one fair idea.
- List.
- List.
- Plan.
- Share.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Small acts of welcome help a lot.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- Migration is ___.
- A refugee is ___.
- Internal migration is ___.
- Urbanisation is ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is migration?
Moving to live elsewhere.
Question 2. Who is a refugee?
Someone fleeing for safety.
Question 3. What is internal migration?
Moving within a country.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is migration?
- Who is a refugee?
- What is internal migration?
- What is urbanisation?
- Name a reason.
Level 2: Grow
- Why move?
- Why welcome?
- Why plan?
Level 3: Stretch
- List reasons.
- List challenges.
- Plan a welcome.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
Give two reasons people migrate and one way to welcome a newcomer.
Show a sample answer
Work, study; kind greeting.
Another one. Think of one kind thing you could do to welcome a new classmate.
Show a sample answer
Share.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Reasons differ.
Fix: Much is inside countries.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can define migration, migrant, refugee, internal migration, urbanisation.
- I can explain why people move.
- I can explain effects on places.
- I can show kindness to newcomers.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- People move for many reasons.
- Moving affects the places left and joined.
- Many people move within their own country.
- Newcomers deserve kindness and rights.
11. Next lesson
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- Define migration and refugee. [2 marks]
- Give three reasons people migrate. [3 marks]
- Explain one effect of urbanisation. [3 marks]
- Suggest one way to welcome newcomers. [2 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Migration [1]; refugee [1]
- Three [3]
- Effect [1]; reason [1]; example [1]
- Idea [1]; reason [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What is migration?
- Who is a refugee?
- What is internal migration?
- What is urbanisation?
- Name a reason.
- Why move?
- Why welcome?
- Why plan?
- List reasons.
- List challenges.
Homework
Draw a welcome sign.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is migration? | Moving to live elsewhere. | 1 |
| 2. Who is a refugee? | Someone fleeing for safety. | 1 |
| 3. What is internal migration? | Moving within a country. | 1 |
| 4. What is urbanisation? | Growing towns. | 1 |
| 5. Name a reason. | Work. | 1 |
| 6. Why move? | Chances or safety. | 1 |
| 7. Why welcome? | Kindness. | 1 |
| 8. Why plan? | Help newcomers. | 1 |
| 9. List reasons. | Reasons. | 1 |
| 10. List challenges. | Challenges. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Moving to live elsewhere.; 2 Someone fleeing for safety.; 3 Moving within a country.; 4 Growing towns.; 5 Work.. Level 2: 1 Chances or safety.; 2 Kindness.; 3 Help newcomers.. Level 3: 1 Reasons.; 2 Challenges.; 3 Plan..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Define migration, migrant, refugee, internal migration, urbanisation | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Explain why people move | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Explain effects on places | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Show kindness to newcomers | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “All migrants are the same.” Reasons differ.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Make a migration chart.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child studies migration with made-up examples. Please talk about kindness to newcomers. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Talk about welcome.
- Use kind words.
- Do not ask about status.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: define migration, migrant, refugee, internal migration, urbanisation; explain why people move; explain effects on places; show kindness to newcomers.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 5 ideas: culture, heritage, history and community from earlier grades.
Materials. Cards, paper. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Prepare made-up family cards.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Tell the road to the city story.
Explanation (10 min). Teach migration.
Guided activity (10 min). Welcome plan.
Independent activity (10 min). Discuss.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. Why do people migrate and how can we welcome newcomers?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with a picture, story, map or local example. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always ask “how do you know?” and invite more than one view. Treat every family, culture and community with respect, and never ask learners to share private information.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use pictures, maps, real objects and short sentences, and let learners work with a partner. Let learners point, show, act or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example from their own community and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “All migrants are the same.” Reasons differ.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Make a migration chart. Enrichment. Find one new example near your home or school, draw or write about it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: NCSS standards and C3 Framework, Cambridge Primary Humanities and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Social Studies curriculum, Grade 5 Unit 8, topic 4; NCSS C3 Framework, culture, change and perspectives; Cambridge Lower Secondary Humanities, identity, culture and change; IB Primary Years Programme, who we are. These sources informed the lesson.