You will learn
- Define rural, urban, urbanisation, push and pull factor.
- Explain why people move to cities.
- Describe benefits and challenges.
- Suggest responses.
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
- Many people move from rural to urban areas.
- Push and pull factors explain moves.
- Cities gain opportunities and face pressures.
- Rural areas also change.
Words to know
of the countryside, with farms and small settlements
of towns and cities
the growth in the share of people living in towns and cities
something that encourages people to leave a place
1. Discover: The road to the city
Mr Cole tells a made-up story about Kema, who grew up in a village and moved to a city to attend a technical college. “Push factors included poor rural roads and few jobs,” he says. “Pull factors included schools, workshops and markets.” He explains that cities such as Freetown, Bo and Kenema have grown as people look for work and services. “Growth brings opportunities but also pressure on housing, water, transport and waste. Villages may lose workers but gain money and ideas sent back. Planners try to improve opportunities in both places.”
Think: What could make living in a rural area more attractive?
2. Understand: Rural-to-urban migration
Idea 1: Why people move
Migration is moving to live in a new place. Push factors encourage people to leave, such as limited jobs, few schools or poor soil. Pull factors attract people, such as work, education, health care, family links and markets. Many people move from rural areas to urban areas.
Idea 2: Effects on cities
Urbanisation brings new businesses and ideas but can strain housing, water, sanitation, schools and transport. Informal settlements may grow. City planners work on safe housing, drainage, roads, markets, schools and clinics. Freetown, Sierra Leone’s capital, is a coastal city that has grown quickly.
Idea 3: Effects on rural areas
Rural areas can lose young workers but may receive money, goods or new skills from migrants. Improving rural roads, markets, schools, health services and farming can give people real choices about where to live.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Define
Urbanisation.
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: Growing share living in cities.
Example 2 (We do it together): Define
Pull factor.
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: Attracts people.
Example 3 (You try): Name
A push factor.
Show the steps and answer
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: Few jobs.
Did you know?
Africa is urbanising faster than any other continent, though many people still live in rural areas.
Why this matters
Understanding rural-urban movement helps plan services for both places.
4. Explore: Push and pull chart
Read a made-up case of a family moving from a village to a town. Fill a chart of push and pull factors, list two benefits and two challenges for the city and the village, and suggest one plan to improve each place.
- Read.
- Fill.
- List.
- Suggest.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Moves have causes and effects in both places.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- Migration is ___.
- Urbanisation is ___.
- A push factor is ___.
- A pull factor is ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is migration?
Moving to live.
Question 2. What is urbanisation?
City growth share.
Question 3. What is a push factor?
Reason to leave.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is migration?
- What is urbanisation?
- What is a push factor?
- What is a pull factor?
- Name a city.
Level 2: Grow
- Why move to cities?
- Why plan?
- Why improve villages?
Level 3: Stretch
- Read the case.
- Fill the chart.
- Suggest plans.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
Explain one push factor, one pull factor and one challenge of urbanisation.
Show a sample answer
Few jobs; services; housing pressure.
Another one. Ask an adult about changes in your area, in general terms.
Show a sample answer
Share.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: People choose differently.
Fix: They can also gain.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can define rural, urban, urbanisation, push and pull factor.
- I can explain why people move to cities.
- I can describe benefits and challenges.
- I can suggest responses.
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
- Many people move from rural to urban areas.
- Push and pull factors explain moves.
- Cities gain opportunities and face pressures.
- Rural areas also change.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: International migration. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
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 rural and urban. [2 marks]
- Give three pull factors for cities. [3 marks]
- Explain two effects on cities. [3 marks]
- Explain one effect on rural areas. [2 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Rural [1]; urban [1]
- Three [3]
- Effect 1 [1]; effect 2 [1]; link [1]
- Effect [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?
- What is urbanisation?
- What is a push factor?
- What is a pull factor?
- Name a city.
- Why move to cities?
- Why plan?
- Why improve villages?
- Read the case.
- Fill the chart.
Homework
Draw a push and pull diagram.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is migration? | Moving to live. | 1 |
| 2. What is urbanisation? | City growth share. | 1 |
| 3. What is a push factor? | Reason to leave. | 1 |
| 4. What is a pull factor? | Reason to go. | 1 |
| 5. Name a city. | Freetown. | 1 |
| 6. Why move to cities? | Opportunities. | 1 |
| 7. Why plan? | Pressures. | 1 |
| 8. Why improve villages? | Real choices. | 1 |
| 9. Read the case. | Read. | 1 |
| 10. Fill the chart. | Fill. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Moving to live.; 2 City growth share.; 3 Reason to leave.; 4 Reason to go.; 5 Freetown.. Level 2: 1 Opportunities.; 2 Pressures.; 3 Real choices.. Level 3: 1 Read.; 2 Fill.; 3 Suggest..
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 rural, urban, urbanisation, push and pull factor | 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 to cities | 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 Describe benefits and challenges | 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 Suggest responses | 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: “Everyone prefers cities.” People choose differently.
- 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 why people move between villages and cities using made-up cases. Please keep talk general. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Discuss change.
- Avoid personal questions.
- Respect all places.
- 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 rural, urban, urbanisation, push and pull factor; explain why people move to cities; describe benefits and challenges; suggest responses.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 6 ideas: population distribution maps, migration across history, trade routes and Africa’s regions.
Materials. Case cards, charts. 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 case 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 rural-to-urban migration.
Guided activity (10 min). Push and pull chart.
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 move from villages to cities?
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. “Everyone prefers cities.” People choose differently.
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 6 Unit 8, topic 3; NCSS C3 Framework, human population, movement and cultural patterns; Cambridge Lower Secondary Humanities, population and migration; IB Primary Years Programme, where we are in place and time. These sources informed the lesson.