Maps and Mapmaking

Classroom Activities

Lesson 1: Where Are You Going? The Art of Jacob Lawrence's Migration Series

Objectives: Students will:

Distinguish between push and pull factors.

Analyze the art of Jacob Lawrence as it relates to the historical context of the Great Migration

Activity:

This lesson is a cooperative lesson. Since there are sixty panels in Jacob Lawrence's series on the great Migration, it is feasible to give each student their own panel to analyze. However, if the cost of printing theses color panels is prohibitive, this activity can be done with fewer panels. Open the lesson by discussing push factors and pull factors. Give examples and have students come up with their own examples.

Have students arranged in groups of no more than five people per group. Depending on class size have six groups of five. In these groups, have each student select role cards. (Recorder, Facilitator, Timekeeper, and Reporter, see appendix for descriptions of roles) Once each student understands their role, distribute each panel of the series until all of them have been distributed. It may be helpful to have each panel labeled and numbered in the order the artist created them especially since they represent a specific movement of people from South to North. Students should view of the panels in their group. Once they have viewed the panels have them answer the following questions as a group. The recorder should write all of the answers for the group.

1. What is depicted in each panel?
2. Does this panel reflect a push factor or a pull factor?

After students complete this activity, provide students with the interview that Jacob Lawrence did with Alan Govenar. Have students read the article in groups or individually. Once students have completed the reading have a class discussion about why Jacob Lawrence created the Migration Series and about his life. As a homework assignment, have students choose one of the panels from the migration series to write a narrative about. They should address what they think is going on in the panel, what is the motivation for the people or action taking place in the panel, and where are the people going or why are they leaving? Encourage students to be creative with their writing. Display the writings and the panels in the classroom or hallway.

Lesson 2: Where Did You Come From? Maps of the Movement of African Americans During The Great Migration

Objectives: Students will:

Activity:

Hand out copies of the Studying Maps map analysis worksheet available from Teacher Created Materials #3881 Social Studies Strategies for Active Learning p. 239-241, Shell Educational Publishing. See appendix for worksheet. This worksheet is an adaptation of one that can also be found for free at http://www.archives.gov/digital_classroom/index.html

Give students a copy of the following maps found at www.inmotionaame.org/maps:

Principal States of Origin of the Migrants, 1910-1930; The Great Migration, 1916-1930; Number and Percent of African Americans in the United States Living in Urban and Rural Communities, 1890-1930; Percentage of Negroes in the Total Population 1910; and Per Cent of Negroes in Total Population By States 1920; and African American Population in Selected Cities, 1900-1920. Once these maps have been distributed one of each per group, work with the students to analyze each map or chart. Analysis of the maps and charts will help students have a background for the reading in the next lesson.

Using the map Principal States of Origin of the Migrants, 1910-1930, students will work together to identify what type of map they are studying, and answer the remaining questions from the Studying Maps worksheet. After the students complete this portion of the activity have them analyze each of the maps that remain. Each student should identify the title of the map and any thing about the map that they find interesting. After the map analysis discuss each map with the students, point out important facts that they may not have identified. If you have access to a computer and projection system it will be helpful to project each map on a screen as you discuss them to keep the students attention on the map that is currently being discussed.

As a homework assignment, have students create a map of the route they take to get to school each day. They should identify regions, street names and modes of transportation. If possible provide an outline map of the city to help students place their routes on a map.

Once students create their map they should write a short essay identifying the reasons why they "migrate" to the school they attend. Note: In Philadelphia, many students travel from various parts of the city to get to school. Although I teach at a neighborhood high school, students may be from another region of the city.

Lesson 3: The Economics of Migration

Objectives: Students will:

Identify the occupations of those who migrated and analyze the primary occupations of migrants, where they moved to and what employment people found in the city of immigration. Analyze why this is important and how it impacted the places that people left and the places that people moved to.

Activity:

Students will research the various jobs that migrants had when they lived in the south and the types of jobs that they gained in the north. In places like Pittsburgh, PA, steel mills were attractive to migrants. In Philadelphia, the shipyards and domestic work drew migrants.

Distribute the article "A New Industrial Landscape" to students. This is available online at www.inmotionaame.org under Great Migration topics. Have students create a t-chart in their notebook to be used as a double entry journal. On one side of the chart have them write the title South and on the other side of the chart have them write the title North. As they read the article have students write down things that are related to the southern experience and those that are a part of the northern experience. Students should note locations, wages and occupations mentioned in the article. After students read and create their charts, discuss their observations as a class.

Students should then choose one of the occupations mentioned in the article. They will research the wages that African Americans made working in the occupation in 1910 and in 1920. Once they have obtained that research, and working in small groups, the students will create a bar graph that compares the wages of each occupation. At the end of the class, the students will make one large bar graph that shows each occupation and the wage for that occupation. As an extension, students could also add the statistics for whites in the same occupations. The Census Bureau is a great resource for students to begin their research.

Lesson 4: The Social Impact of Migration

Objectives: Students will: Analyze the impact of newspapers on the Great Migration

Activity:

Provide students with copies of "Sir I Will Thank You with All My Heart": Seven Letters from the Great Migration available online at http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5332/ These letters are transcribed letters, published in the Chicago Defender, a Black newspaper published in Chicago that strongly urged southern blacks to migrate North. If desired, additional letters can be found at www.inmotionaame.org/texts. "Letters of Negro Migrants of 1916-1918" from the Journal of Negro History vol. 4, no. 3 (July 1919).

Have students read through each of the letters. After they have read the letters have them choose one letter to respond to. In their response they should either grant or deny the writer's request or respond to the situation the writer describes.

After students have responded, have them share their responses with the class. Discuss the role of the newspaper in aiding and encouraging migration North.

Provide students with a copy of the biography of Robert S. Abbott. A short biography is available online at www.pbs.org/blackpress/news_bios/abbott.html. Have students read the biography and infer why Abbott may have created the Chicago Defender. As a homework assignment, each student should write a short essay that describes what they believe were Abbott's motivations.

Lesson 5: The Politics of Migration

Objectives: Students will evaluate how migration affected U.S. politics in the 1920's

Activity:

In order to provide students with background information about the political climate of the time, provide students with a handout entitled, "The Quest for Political Power" found online at www.inmotionaame.org. This short article describes the political climate and the context in which African Americans continued their search for political equity. Once students have been given the article give them time to read this in class. After students have read, ask students to answer the following focus questions:

1. Explain how the experiences of southern migrants affected their desire to vote.
2. Why were black southerners loyal to the Republican Party?
3. te: It may be necessary to explain to students that many African Americans were Republicans because this was the party of Abraham Lincoln.
4. Why is Oscar DePriest significant in American political history? What did he accomplish?
5. What was significant about the election of 1935?
6. Who was Marcus Garvey? Why were his ideas attractive to migrants?

After discussing the focus questions with the students, use the website www.270towin.com to lead students through an activity that will require them to use their inference skills. You will need access to a computer and preferably a projection system to complete this activity. If you do not have access to this technology this activity can also be done in a computer room with individual computers. www.270towin.com is an interactive website that provides maps of presidential election results by "red and blue" states. You will be able to navigate through years from 1789 to 2008. Once you select a year the website will show you the names of each candidate, their political party, how many electoral votes the candidate won, how many popular votes the candidates won and a map of the United States that is appropriately color coded to reflect the election results. At the bottom of the page the site also provides "election facts" which provide some historical context.

Using the election maps for 1916, 1920 and 1932 analyze the results for each year. Make sure students make note of which states voted Republican and which voted Democrat. Also have students note whether a particular state has lost or gained electoral votes. (Those are noted on the map by the numbers under the state abbreviation.) Explain to students that the number of electoral votes is determined by state population. After analyzing the maps, have students write a paragraph answering the following question:

What can you infer about African American migration from 1916-1932 based on the election results from 1916, 1920 and 1932? This question can be answered for homework if there is limited class time.

Lesson Six: The Philadelphia Story

Read "Black Migration to Philadelphia: a 1924 Profile" from Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography (July 1984) by Fredric Miller as background reading for the teacher. This article can be found at www.inmotionaame.org/text This article discusses the household structure and income, southern occupation and residence, motivation and process, the Philadelphia districts and occupations, and the mobility and housing conditions of migrants. This study does make some comparisons with European immigrants although the focus is African Americans migrating from the South.

Activity

Divide students into small groups of 4-5 students. In their groups, students will research migrants from a southern state such as North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. They must research and choose a state that had many migrants that came to Philadelphia. Students must find information about the occupations of migrants, educational levels, and religious affiliations. Student will then create a short fictional family profile describing where the family is from, the family surname, how many members of the family there are, their ages, schooling and/or occupation. They must also include the circumstances in which the family migrated to Philadelphia. Was it due to the loss of crops, seeking better opportunities etc.? This fictional family profile will be used in a short simulation activity.

In this short simulation of the Philadelphia migrant experience in the 1920's, students will be given a profile from a group other than their own. Break the class in to groups of 4-5 students. Each group will represent a family from the south. As each family migrates from their home state to Philadelphia they will have to make economic and social decisions that will impact their family. At the end of the simulation each group will report out their experiences and the class will discuss what they may have done differently if they were in this situation in real life. The teacher will provide "Decision Cards". Students will use these cards to encounter situations that will determine their fate.

Simulation Decision Cards

1. You start your journey with $50. The cost of a train ticket north is $3.00 per person. You must decide if you leave with or without your family. If you decide to leave without your family go to the next decision. If you decide to bring your family skip to number five.
2. You decided to leave without your family. You must find a place to live. You don't have any friends or family in your new city but you are a member of the AME church. Will you rent a room or an apartment?
3. You decided to rent a room for $4.00 per month. You must now find a job.
4. You find a job as a general laborer. You are paid $.90 per 12 hour workday. You send half of your earnings to you family in the South.
5. You decide to bring your family to Philadelphia. It will cost you $3.00 per member of you family. Skip number six and seven, go to number eight.
6. With your family with you, you find a two room apartment that you rent for $5.50 per month.
7. You find a job earning $1.00 per 12 hour workday.
8. You must ultimately decide if you will stay in Philadelphia or will you return to your home in the South. Do you stay or do you leave?