Why people migrate: push and pull factors and their effects

Grade 9 Social Studies Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   Card F. Where international migrants live, 2020 (UN DESA estimates). Total: 281 million. Europe 87 million; Northern America almost 59 million; Northern Africa and Western Asia nearly 50 million. Nearly half of all migrants live in the region they come from; 70% of migrants born in Europe live in another European country. Nearly two thirds live in high-income countries, 31% in middle-income and about 4% in low-income countries. The largest groups living outside their country of birth: India 18 million, Mexico 11 million, China 10 million. Note: the UN says such groups abroad help their home countries through trade, investment and access to technology.

2. 1.

   Noah tests Ravenstein's "most migrants move a short distance" with Card F's "nearly half live in the region they come from." What follows?

   • Strong support: 70% of migrants stay in their region, which is clearly most of them
   • Full support: nearly half living in their region shows that most migrants move a short distance
   • Partial support at most: nearly half is not most, and a whole region is far larger than a short move
   • No support: a region is too large to say anything about distance, so the figure cannot be used
3. 2.

   Luz says: "70% of European-born migrants stay in Europe, so 70% of all migrants stay in their region." What does Card F say?

   • The note is right, because Europe is the largest region and so its share sets the share for the other regions
   • The 70% covers only migrants born in Europe; for all migrants the card says nearly half
   • The note is wrong, because 70% of Europe's 87 million is just 61 million and so below half of 281 million
   • The note is right for the world, because a larger share in Europe means a larger share in each region

4. Use this

   Card G (made up for practice). A simple gravity model for migration: the expected flow between two places is proportional to (population of A x population of B) divided by (distance between them) squared. Towns: Alda, 100,000 people; Bexa, 200,000; Corro, 800,000. Distances: Alda to Bexa 50 km; Alda to Corro 200 km; Bexa to Corro 100 km.

5. 3.

   Tala sees that on Card G, Corro has four times Bexa's population, yet Alda–Corro has a smaller expected flow than Alda–Bexa. Why?

   • Corro is four times as far, so the flow is divided by four, which cancels Corro's four times larger population
   • A larger town draws fewer migrants in the model, so Corro's larger population lowers the flow
   • Alda–Bexa has the larger flow because Bexa and Alda have the closest populations in the model
   • Corro is four times as far, and distance counts squared (16 times), so the flow is a quarter of Alda–Bexa's
6. 4.

   Jun ranks the expected flows between the three pairs of towns on Card G. Which order, largest first, is right?

   • Alda–Corro, then Bexa–Corro, then Alda–Bexa, because Corro is the largest town and draws the most
   • Alda–Bexa, then Bexa–Corro, then Alda–Corro, ranking by distance alone, shortest pair first
   • Bexa–Corro, then Alda–Bexa, then Alda–Corro, from the populations and the squared distances
   • Bexa–Corro, then Alda–Corro, then Alda–Bexa, ranking by the product of the two populations alone
7. 5.

   Pia imagines the road between Alda and Bexa being rebuilt so they are twice as far apart. What happens to their expected flow on Card G?

   • It stays the same, because the flow depends on the two populations and those have not changed
   • It falls to an eighth, because doubling a distance means doubling it in each of three directions
   • It falls to a quarter, because doubling the distance divides the flow by two squared
   • It halves, because the flow is divided by the distance and the distance has doubled

8. Use this

   Card G (made up for practice). A simple gravity model for migration: the expected flow between two places is proportional to (population of A x population of B) divided by (distance between them) squared. Towns: Alda, 100,000 people; Bexa, 200,000; Corro, 800,000. Distances: Alda to Bexa 50 km; Alda to Corro 200 km; Bexa to Corro 100 km. Card F. Where international migrants live, 2020 (UN DESA estimates). Total: 281 million. Europe 87 million; Northern America almost 59 million; Northern Africa and Western Asia nearly 50 million. Nearly half of all migrants live in the region they come from; 70% of migrants born in Europe live in another European country. Nearly two thirds live in high-income countries, 31% in middle-income and about 4% in low-income countries. The largest groups living outside their country of birth: India 18 million, Mexico 11 million, China 10 million. Note: the UN says such groups abroad help their home countries through trade, investment and access to technology.

9. 6.

   Bo compares Card G's model with Card F's income split. What does the model leave out that Card F suggests matters?

   • Distance, because Card F shows nearly half of migrants live far from where they were born
   • A common language, because migrants go where they can speak the language, as Card F's notes about regions suggest
   • Income differences: Card G uses only population and distance, and Card F puts nearly two thirds in high-income countries
   • Population, because Card G's model gives each town the same pull whatever its size

10. Use this

    Card H (made up for practice). Two readings of why people move between towns. Reading X: "Migrants go where incomes are higher, so income differences explain the flows." Reading Y: "Migrants go where distance is short and populations are large, so the gravity model explains the flows." Card G (made up for practice). A simple gravity model for migration: the expected flow between two places is proportional to (population of A x population of B) divided by (distance between them) squared. Towns: Alda, 100,000 people; Bexa, 200,000; Corro, 800,000. Distances: Alda to Bexa 50 km; Alda to Corro 200 km; Bexa to Corro 100 km.

11. 7.

    Milo wants a test between Reading X (income) and Reading Y (gravity) on Cards G and H. Which evidence helps most?

    • Flows between two pairs of towns with the same populations and distance but different incomes
    • Flows between the three towns on Card G, to see whether Bexa–Corro has the largest expected flow
    • The populations and distances on Card G again, to confirm the model's numbers are right
    • The richest town's flows, to see whether most migrants go there, since that shows income is the cause

12. Use this

    Card H (made up for practice). Two readings of why people move between towns. Reading X: "Migrants go where incomes are higher, so income differences explain the flows." Reading Y: "Migrants go where distance is short and populations are large, so the gravity model explains the flows." Card F. Where international migrants live, 2020 (UN DESA estimates). Total: 281 million. Europe 87 million; Northern America almost 59 million; Northern Africa and Western Asia nearly 50 million. Nearly half of all migrants live in the region they come from; 70% of migrants born in Europe live in another European country. Nearly two thirds live in high-income countries, 31% in middle-income and about 4% in low-income countries. The largest groups living outside their country of birth: India 18 million, Mexico 11 million, China 10 million. Note: the UN says such groups abroad help their home countries through trade, investment and access to technology.

13. 8.

    Zee asks which reading Card F's income split favors, and how far. What is a fair answer?

    • It favors Reading X, but high-income countries may also be large or near, so it does not rule out Y
    • It settles the matter for Reading X, since nearly two thirds of migrants live where incomes are high
    • It favors neither reading, because an income split cannot say anything about why migrants moved
    • It favors Reading Y, because the high-income countries host the largest populations of migrants

14. Use this

    Card F. Where international migrants live, 2020 (UN DESA estimates). Total: 281 million. Europe 87 million; Northern America almost 59 million; Northern Africa and Western Asia nearly 50 million. Nearly half of all migrants live in the region they come from; 70% of migrants born in Europe live in another European country. Nearly two thirds live in high-income countries, 31% in middle-income and about 4% in low-income countries. The largest groups living outside their country of birth: India 18 million, Mexico 11 million, China 10 million. Note: the UN says such groups abroad help their home countries through trade, investment and access to technology.

15. 9.

    Kira writes: "India has the largest group abroad (18 million), so India sends the most migrants per person." What is the best correction?

    • The note is wrong, because Mexico's 11 million is larger than India's per person when divided by 18
    • The note is right, because the largest group abroad must come from the country with the highest rate
    • 18 million is a count; Card F gives no populations, so it cannot show who sends the most per person
    • India's 18 million is 6.4% of the migrants, so India sends 6.4% of its people abroad

16. Use this

    Card F. Where international migrants live, 2020 (UN DESA estimates). Total: 281 million. Europe 87 million; Northern America almost 59 million; Northern Africa and Western Asia nearly 50 million. Nearly half of all migrants live in the region they come from; 70% of migrants born in Europe live in another European country. Nearly two thirds live in high-income countries, 31% in middle-income and about 4% in low-income countries. The largest groups living outside their country of birth: India 18 million, Mexico 11 million, China 10 million. Note: the UN says such groups abroad help their home countries through trade, investment and access to technology. Card G (made up for practice). A simple gravity model for migration: the expected flow between two places is proportional to (population of A x population of B) divided by (distance between them) squared. Towns: Alda, 100,000 people; Bexa, 200,000; Corro, 800,000. Distances: Alda to Bexa 50 km; Alda to Corro 200 km; Bexa to Corro 100 km.

17. 10.

    Ren writes: "Nearly half of migrants stay in their region, so the gravity model is proved." What is the best correction using Cards F and G?

    • Card F gives no towns or distances, so it cannot test the model, which needs populations and distances
    • The note is right, because the model says nearer places exchange more migrants and regions are nearer places
    • The note is right for Europe, since 70% of European-born migrants stay there and Europe is the biggest region
    • The note is wrong, because the model also says half of migrants should stay and so the figure just matches it