Why people move: push and pull factors on migration maps

Grade 7 Social Studies Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   People on the move today (cards A to E; summaries in our words). Card A, United Nations (UN) figures on cities: 751 million people lived in cities in 1950 and 4.2 billion in 2018. In 2007, for the first time, more than half of the world's people lived in cities. In 2018 the share was 55 percent, and the UN projects 68 percent by 2050. Card B, UN figures on people living outside the country where they were born: 173 million in 2000, 221 million in 2010 and 281 million in 2020, about 3.6 percent of the world's people in 2020. Card C, a note on terms: a projection is an estimate of the future, not a count. The UN notes that countries define "urban" in different ways. Card D, a model used by geographers: people weigh factors that push them away from a place against factors that pull them toward another. Card E, an imagined case: in Town X, machines have cut farm jobs. City Y, a few hours away, is hiring and paying higher wages. One family in X owns its land and cares for older relatives.

2. 1.

   Card A: 751 million people lived in cities in 1950 and 4.2 billion in 2018. About how many times as many is that, Ari asks?

   • About 3.4 billion times as many, since 4.2 billion minus 751 million is about 3.4 billion
   • About 56 times as many, since 4.2 billion is 56 times 75 million
   • About one sixth as many, since 751 million is the smaller figure
   • About 5.6 times as many, since 4,200 divided by 751 is about 5.6
3. 2.

   Card A: 4.2 billion is 55 percent of the world's people in 2018. About how many people were there in the world, Bo asks?

   • About 4.2 billion, since the card gives the world's people
   • About 2.3 billion, since 55 percent of 4.2 billion is about 2.3
   • About 6.5 billion, since 4.2 billion plus 55 percent of it gives the total
   • About 7.6 billion, since 4.2 billion divided by 0.55 is about 7.6
4. 3.

   Card B: 173 million in 2000 and 281 million in 2020. About what percent more people lived outside their birth country, Jun asks?

   • About 108 percent, since the rise was 108 million
   • About 38 percent, since the rise of 108 million is 38 percent of 281 million
   • About 1.6 percent, since 281 divided by 173 is 1.6
   • About 62 percent: the rise of 108 million out of 173 million
5. 4.

   A student says, "Card A shows people moving from the countryside is the main reason cities grew." Which reply is best, Kira asks?

   • Supported: card A names push and pull factors for the growth of cities
   • Supported: more people in cities means more people moved there
   • Not supported: the UN cannot count people in cities with any accuracy
   • Not supported: card A counts city dwellers but does not give reasons
6. 5.

   Using card D, which push and which pull appear in card E, Milo asks?

   • Push: owning land in Town X. Pull: caring for older relatives in Town X.
   • Push: the distance of a few hours. Pull: the machines in Town X.
   • Push: fewer farm jobs in Town X. Pull: higher wages in City Y.
   • Push: higher wages in City Y. Pull: machines cut farm jobs.
7. 6.

   In card E, how might a worker in Town X and the family that owns land there weigh the same facts differently, Noah asks?

   • Both would decide the same way, since both are in Town X and face the same facts
   • The family would leave first, since owning land makes moving easy and cheap
   • The worker may be pulled to City Y; the family may be held by land and care
   • The worker would stay, since new wages do not matter to workers anywhere
8. 7.

   Suppose the UN later revises its 2050 projection from 68 percent to 66 percent. What does that show about a projection, Pia asks?

   • It shows cities will stop growing by 2050, since the number went down
   • It shows a projection can be revised when new data arrive
   • It shows the 2018 count of 55 percent was also revised by the UN
   • It shows the UN was dishonest, since the first number was wrong
9. 8.

   Card A comes from UN statisticians, and card C says countries define "urban" differently. What is a strength and a limit, Ren asks?

   • Strength: many countries' figures. Limit: "urban" differs by country.
   • Strength: the figures come from one city. Limit: other cities are missing.
   • Strength: the data are secret. Limit: the UN keeps them.
   • Strength: one method for each country. Limit: nothing serious, since the UN is neutral.
10. 9.

    Card B: 173 million (2000), 221 million (2010), 281 million (2020). Which decade saw the bigger rise, and by how much, Tala asks?

    • Both decades, by the same amount
    • 2000 to 2010, by 48 million
    • 2010 to 2020, by 281 million
    • 2010 to 2020, by 60 million
11. 10.

    A student compares card A and card B: "Both show more people on the move." Which reply is best, Zee asks?

    • Both count the same thing, so the figures can be added together
    • The cards disagree, so one of them must be wrong
    • Card B is a projection and card A is a count
    • The cards count different groups, so they should not be added