Global Migration Patterns
A lesson plan from “Making Population Real”
by the Population Reference Bureau
Supported by the World Population Fund
of the Minneapolis Foundation
Today’s Agenda
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Introduce objectives and teaching standards
Briefly introduce United States’ immigration
history
Graph data on immigration to United States
Construct population pyramids of the U.S. and
immigrant populations
Compare and discuss what the data reveals
Introduce Making Population Real and PRB
Making Population Real – Lesson Plan 7:
Global Migration Patterns
Issues
 Immigration
 Ethnicity
Population
Concepts
 Composition
Tools
 Age-sex
and structure of population
 Immigrants
graph (population pyramid)
 Line graph
Objectives
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To understand immigration to the United States
To identify major international migration streams
To evaluate the impact of migration on U.S.
population structure
Teaching Standards
AP Geography Standard Addressed,
Unit II– Population Unit:
C. Population movement
2. Major voluntary and involuntary migrations at
different scales
AP and the Advanced Placement Program are registered
trademarks of the College Entrance Examination Board which
was not involved in the production of these lesson plans.
Brief Highlights of U.S.
Immigration History
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1820-1920 U.S. encouraged European
immigration; not Chinese or unskilled workers
At start of 20th Century U.S. began to regulate
migration with passports, visas, etc.
1920 began national quota system
1965 opened to those immigrants sought by
employers; Asian and Latin American
immigration boomed
U.S. Immigration Patterns
Who are the immigrants to the U.S.?
How have they changed over time?
Assignment:
 Construct a line graph of immigrants from
specific regions to U.S. between 1820-2000
Graphing Instructions
Set up a graph with decades 1820-2000 on the
horizontal axis
2. For the vertical axis, the scale should be 0 to 5
million (setting the unit at 250,000) to keep all
graphs on the same scale
3. Graph the number of immigrants for your
assigned region*
* Europe, Asia, North and South Americas, Africa, and
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Oceania
Patterns of Immigration
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What was the main source of immigrants in the
19th century?
What changes in immigration source regions
have occurred in the last several decades?
What might account for the shift in immigration
source regions?
How might this shift in source regions affect the
composition of the United States population?
Population Structure
How are immigrant populations changing the
structure of the U.S. population?
Assignment:
 Construct population pyramids for:
 Total
U.S. population
 U.S. immigrant population
 Hispanic U.S. population
Sample Population Pyramid
Blank Population Pyramid
Discussing Population
Structures
Compare the three pyramids:
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How do the two minority populations differ from
the general population in terms of structure?
How do you explain the differences?
What is the impact on the United States
population overall?
Activities
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Population Movement to the United States
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Immigrants in the United States
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Research and discuss background
Graph changing rates of immigration to U.S.
Map countries of origin and states of destination
Create population pyramids
Compare and discuss differences
People Without a Place to Call Home
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Research refugee groups worldwide
Making Population Real
Lesson Plans
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Population Fundamentals – Building a
Foundation
Populations in the Path of Natural Hazards
The Demographic Transition –
A Contemporary Look at a Classic Model
HIV/AIDS and Contemporary Population
Dynamics
Population Policy – Progress Since Cairo
People on the Move
Global Migration Patterns
About Making Population Real
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Free, on-line curricula utilize up-to-date realworld data and articles from a variety of webbased resources:
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United Nations (UNICEF, UNHCR, WHO, etc.)
U.S. Census Bureau
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
PRB research and publications
Lead author Martha B. Sharma, a teacher
Recipient of the 2006 Geographic Excellence
in Media Award from National Council for
Geographic Education
www.prb.org/educators
Population Reference Bureau
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Informs people around the world about population,
health, and the environment, and empowers them to use
that information to advance the well-being of current and
future generations.
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Analyzes demographic data and research to provide
objective, accurate, and up-to-date population
information in a format that is easily understood by
educators, journalists, and decision makers alike.