Push factors are reasons that cause people to leave their home country. In other words, these factors “push” them out of their home country. For example, a family might move to a safer place if their home country is experiencing violence, war, or political upheaval.

Pull factors are reasons that make a new country appealing. In other words, these factors “pull” people towards a new country. For example, some people might move to be closer to family, or to seek opportunities for work or school.

From 1770 to 1815, about 15,000 Scottish farmers came to Canada after their landlords (the people that owned the lands they farmed) kicked them out of the farmlands they had lived on for generations to make room for more farm animals. In Canada, they had the opportunity to own their own farmland. This meant they would never have to worry about being displaced.

The Selkirk Settlers were one of the first groups of Scottish settlers that bought and farmed the land in the area now known as Red River, Manitoba. This group influenced many of the farming practices used to this day in Manitoba and other prairie provinces.

Before the United States of America was established as a country, Britain ruled and controlled the “American colonies.” Beginning in 1775, settlers in the American colonies began fighting the British rule and trying to establish America as an independent country. This fight was called the American Revolutionary War.

Loyalists were settlers in the American colonies who wanted to stay under British rule and did not want America to become an independent nation. They fought for the British army as it tried to keep control of the American colonies. Canada was also a British colony at the time. To motivate the Loyalists, the British government offered them land in Canada after the war was over as a reward for their loyalty. About 30,000 Loyalists came to Canada during this period. This group played a significant role in establishing many of Canada’s political, educational, social, and religious institutions.

Before the American Revolutionary War (the war that made America an independent country) began in 1775, Black people were enslaved in the American colonies. British officials offered many Black people their freedom and the promise of land in one of their colonies if they fought for the British Army. These individuals became known as Black Loyalists.

When Britain lost the war, many Black Loyalists were recaptured into slavery. Others were resettled into British colonies. The largest group of Black Loyalists, with just over 3,500 people, were resettled in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, with the majority arriving in Birchtown, Nova Scotia. Unfortunately, the Black Loyalists did not get the same supports as white Loyalists. If they received land, the soil quality was poor. They were the last people to be given supplies and tools, if they received any at all. Many became labourers on farms or indentured servants, which meant they were under contract to work for someone else for a certain amount of time without getting paid.

Birchtown, Nova Scotia, became the largest Black settlement in North America. Black Loyalists built a community with their own schools and churches, and became shoemakers, teachers, woodcutters, and ministers. However, one third of the Black Loyalists decided to move to Sierra Leone in Africa after many experiences of discrimination.

Between 1810 and 1850, the Underground Railroad helped many Black American slaves escape from the American South. The Underground Railroad was not an actual railroad, but rather a complex network of people, hiding spaces, and safehouses that helped Black people escape slavery and make their way to freedom. About 30,000 to 40,000 Black Freedom Seekers came to Canada through the Underground Railroad. Many of these individuals settled in what is now known as Ontario, in regions such as Buxton, Chatham, Hamilton, Oakville, and Toronto. They helped build strong communities and shaped the identities of the regions where they lived.

In the 1840s, disease and pests destroyed farm crops in Ireland, causing a famine that killed over a million people. This famine is known as the Irish Potato Famine, The Great Famine, or The Great Hunger. Hundreds of thousands of people had to leave Ireland for their health and survival.

More than 100,000 Irish came to Canada. Because so many Irish people came to Canada during the Irish Potato Famine, many people mistakenly think this is when Irish immigrants established themselves in Canada. In fact, beginning in the 17th century, there were already many long-established Irish settler communities who had made significant contributions to Canadian identity. In the 1820s, Irish immigrants were one of the main groups who built the Lachine Canal in Montréal, Québec. Without the Lachine Canal, Montréal wouldn’t have been able to establish itself as a manufacturing hub.

Throughout the late 19th century, Britain faced poverty, pollution, and social inequality. Thousands of people – including children – lived in terrible conditions. Organizations in Britain and Canada, as well as other British colonies, worked together to relocate thousands of British children outside of the United Kingdom in the hopes of giving them a better life. These children were known as British Home Children.

Between 1869 and 1948, over 100,000 British Home Children came to Canada. They were adopted or placed in Canadian farm homes to start a new life. Some were treated very well and found loving families. However, others were put to work as unpaid workers on farms. Despite hardships, many British Home Children volunteered to fight with the Canadian military alongside Britain in the First World War and helped them win the war.

Think about your topic and develop specific questions to get better research results.

For example, if you’re working on the topic of recycling, you might start with a general question and make it more specific before beginning your research.

• General question: Why is recycling good for the environment?
• Specific question: How does recycling help protect marine wildlife?

Be patient while doing your research. Go through each website carefully, and take notes using a graphic organizer or notebook. Record the websites used for specific information – it’s important to give credit to the creator of the content.

Consult more than one resource to help you determine if the information you gather is accurate and true.

Remember, research can take time. It helps to be focused and calm! Taking a break can refresh our thinking and help us process new information.

It’s important to use reliable sources so that you can put together accurate and up-to-date information about your topic.

Websites ending with .com, .org, and .net can be purchased and used by anyone.

The ending .org is usually used by non-profit organizations, which may be trying to persuade rather than educate.

Websites ending in .edu are reserved for colleges and universities. Canadian websites have a .ca ending.

Consider the following questions when you are doing your reliability check. You might also ask a trusted adult or a peer for help if you are uncertain about a website.

• When was the resource published? (This might help you determine if the information is current.)
• Who created the resource/website? What is their educational background or work experience?
• Who is the intended audience?
• Who benefits from this information being shared?
• Whose perspectives are represented? Whose perspectives are missing?

Do you understand all the words on the site? Can you decode their meaning?

Does what you’re reading make sense?

If not, it’s okay. Consider trying a different source. It’s important for you to understand the information that you read so that you can put it in your own words.

It’s important to stay safe while doing online research. If a website asks you for any personal information, close it and try a different website.

Personal information could include asking for your full name, email address, phone number, home address, photos, or school name. Do not provide any personal information and close the website.

Does the site have pop-up windows? These windows usually ask the user to click to “win a prize” or “check out information.” Do not click on the pop-ups and close the website.

Throughout the research process, feel free to check in with a peer or trusted adult.

If there is anything specific that makes you feel uncomfortable or worried while you are doing your research…

• pause and take a break
• speak to a trusted adult

Pick one of the following groups:

• Jewish immigrants
• Chinese immigrants
• Japanese immigrants
• Ukrainian immigrants
• Syrian immigrants
• another group of people of your choice

Once you have chosen the community, you will research the following about them:

• WHEN did this group of people come to Canada?
• WHY did this group of people come to Canada?
• WHERE did this group of people settle in Canada?
• HOW did they adjust to their new life?
• WHAT contributions did this group of people/community make to Canadian identity?