Why They Moved

This social studies worksheet helps students in Grades 4, 5, and 6 develop understanding of immigration, migration patterns, cause-and-effect reasoning, and human decision-making. By examining why people leave their home countries and why they choose to move to the United States, students practice classifying information, comparing motivations, and building empathy through clear visual organization and thoughtful analysis.

Learning Goals

• Push & Pull Factors (Grades 4-6) – Identify and categorize reasons immigrants leave one place and move to another.
• Geography & Human Movement – Understand how social, economic, and environmental factors influence migration patterns.
• Civic & Global Awareness – Build empathy for immigrant experiences by examining real-world motivations and challenges.
• Critical Thinking – Compare and evaluate different types of migration causes using a structured chart.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Designed by educators to align with upper elementary social studies and geography standards.
• Clear Visual Organizer – Chart format helps students organize ideas and see patterns at a glance.
• Flexible Classroom Use – Works well for independent practice, group work, discussion starters, or assessments.
• Accessible for Diverse Learners – Simple examples and structured categories support comprehension and engagement.

This printable worksheet helps students strengthen understanding of immigration, global movement, and human motivation through hands-on classification and comparison. By exploring push and pull factors, learners gain insight into why people migrate and how decisions are shaped by opportunity and hardship. It’s a low-prep, versatile resource that fits seamlessly into both classroom instruction and homeschool learning while supporting meaningful social studies instruction.

This worksheet is part of our Immigration and Ellis Island collection.