Virginia SOL WG.13

Social Studies8th GradePopulation and Migration

SOL Standard (Skills Cluster)

The student will apply history and social science skills to understand population and migration by

Virginia Standards of Learning for History and Social Science

Cluster contents

WG.13 is a Standards of Learning history and social science standard. These are the skills expectations under it.

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students read population tables, graphs, maps, and age structure diagrams to describe patterns and compare places. They use evidence to explain why people move, what changes result, and how governments or communities respond.
What Mastery Looks Like: Given two places, students accurately compare population size, density, growth, and age distribution using specific data. For a migration case, they identify causes, impacts, and reasonable responses supported by evidence.
Common Misconceptions: Students often confuse population size with population density. They may assume all migration is voluntary or caused by jobs. They also mix up a cause of migration, its impact, and a response to it.
How to Assess It: Exit ticket: Place A has 2 million people in 100,000 square miles, while Place B has 3 million in 300,000 square miles. Ask students to identify the denser place, then explain one cause, impact, and response if workers move to Place A after a factory opens.

Lesson moves

Give groups census cards for three countries, then have them sort by density, growth, and age structure and build a comparison chart.
Ask, "Should a city receiving many new residents prioritize housing, schools, or transit?" Students defend one choice with data.
Run a push and pull factor card sort relay, then require teams to explain one disputed card.
Use recent county census data to identify a migration trend and write one recommendation for local planners.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to WG.13, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

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