Migration Data Lesson - Setting the stage for Inquiry

As a Digital Learning coach, I am in the position to see lots of different classrooms and working with lots of different teachers. Sometimes I have the opportunity to work with a variety of teachers on the same idea in the same grade level. The following rant is the result of such an experience. Someone bringing an idea to the table, trying it with a variety of classes with the end goal being inquiry.

The students in Grade 4 started the Unit focusing on Migration under the organising theme Where We Are in Place and Time. The lesson I have planned has a few stages and allows (I hope) the students to gain knowledge, make connections and inquire.  

The lesson’s origin is also the lesson’s starting point. Students look closely at the Migration Data Table featured in this lesson plan from National Geographic. The Migration Data Table is distributed to the students. The students are asked to record anything they see, think or wonder about the data on the table. Wonders range from ‘why do so few countries migrate to UAE’ to ‘I wonder why Switzerland is not included in the table’. After some thinking time students talk in small groups about what they wonder or notice. As a class we discuss the various wonders while looking at the data table on the IWB. The challenge of the sharing is to keep students from jumping to conclusions or being certain about the validity of their thinking. I attempt to remain unsure about the explanation of the data. Often asking students to rephrase by saying, ‘I wonder why…” or “I think that might be because…”.

If time allows and depending on the class (Grade 4) I take time to focus on some Math related to the table. In pairs students, will take time to practice how to say some of the larger numbers. This is good practice for some, good reinforcement for others. This then leads on to asking some fact based questions. For example:

• From Italy, how many more people migrate to Spain than the Netherlands?
• From Germany, how many people migrate to English speaking countries in total?

Now the discussion turns to what else can we know from the table and (if needed) the source of the information. Here is where it starts to get interesting. The students are asked how I could find the data source and do they think the data is real or based on a real data set. I type in “World Bank” Migration Data 2010. You can see the first result here:

From here the students pause on the word “remittance”. What does it mean? What do they think it means? Why would it be together with Migration data? We find the list of data available and notice there is data from 2010. Opening the spreadsheet the students are eager to see if it is the same. Most times we settle on finding the number of people migrating from Mexico to the United States. It is the largest number on the original data table and most would have observed it and have tried to say it with their partner. Finding the row Mexico is located on first, I ask the students to observe what happens as I scroll over to the United States column. They realise, with lots of calling out, it is all of the countries!

At once many students are calling out, “how many people come from X?” or "how many people migrate to x". Students are given (via ether a template or Google Classroom post) the entire data table. I walk them through how they can go about taking away much of the table so they are left with the countries they find most interesting. This brings up the original discussion of why people migrate. Knowing about the potential push and pull factors of migration helps students decide on what countries to include and which countries to exclude. Which countries should be source countries and which should be destination countries. This point highlights the connection between the concepts taught in the unit and the tech skills being introduced and practiced.

As students set to work their amount of prior experience with Sheets (or any spreadsheet program) provides them with either an advantage or disadvantage in getting the table they would like. After about 15 minutes most students have made choices and removed all unwanted countries from the table. It is at this point that the inquiry cycle takes off again. We are back to the top of the inquiry cycle again. Students are back listing see, think, and wonders about the data!

Students take time to look at the various charts and graphs they can create from the data. We look at ways of moving rows and columns to get different kinds of graphs. Once happy with a visual representation students transfer the graph to a Google Slide. The slide includes the picture of the data as well as the wonders, thoughts and ideas they have about the data. Some try visualising the data while others are looking at potential sources of answers. Some are generating more and more questions as others are back on the World Bank website to find how the 2018 data compares.

For some the inquiry lasts for the double lesson or perhaps into the third lesson with devices. For others it goes home with them and is part of the discussions had with parents. Last years I had a student attempting to print the entire data table! Others are led to other data tables to create graphs, tables and new understandings.

In the end it is a bunch of numbers in a table. The structure of the lesson(s) and the path students are shown that leads to deeper understanding and engagement. It is from the questions and wonders where the learning lies.

Resources:
Migration Data
Original Lesson Plan
World Bank Data

Do you have any wonders, questions or comments about the lesson? Leave a comment below or reach out via Twitter.