The Billiard Ball Migration: A Displacement on the Move 🌍⚡

Imagine a game of billiards or pool. When you strike one ball what happens to the other? This is a bit like what happens during another type of migration called billiard ball migration one group of people is forced out of their land by another more powerful group, and this displacement sets off a series of migrations, like billiard balls colliding on the table. 🎱

In history, these kinds of migrations often occurred due to war and conflict , colonisations or natural disasters, and entire communities were forced to move, one after another.

Let's look at this chart ,the letters A, B , C and D , will represent different groups of people. Each of the groups holds a color. A is yellow, B is green, C is red and D is purple.

• So , Group A (Yellow) is living peacefully in their own land. But something happens—maybe a more powerful group invades arrives out of nowhere ( the blue group of people )and Group A (Yellow) is forced to leave. 💥

• They move into Group B's (Green) territory, causing Group B to lose their land too.

• Group B (Green), now freshly pushed out from its territory , is in search for new land, and moves into Group C's (Red) land. This pushes Group C out of their territory, as they cannot coexist in the same space. 🌿

• Group C (Red) is forced to move, and they continue the chain by moving into Group D's (Purple) land, displacing them. What do you think happens with purple group of people?

This type of migration has happened many times throughout history, for example when European settlers arrived in the Americas, they pushed indigenous peoples off their lands. Over time, many of these tribes disappeared or lost major parts of their culture and many smaller tribes became extinct.

One indigenous group from Japan, were forced to adapt into Japanese traditions. Their language, religion, and traditions were suppressed for centuries, leading to the near extinction of their culture. Only recently more people became aware of this and there been an effort to restore this indigenous group of people ( Ainu ) traditions. 🎎📜 I have another example which does not end with happy end. When the British colonized Tasmania, the indigenous Tasmanian Aboriginal people were displaced, hunted, making their culture and language extinct. 🏞️💔

Do you know of any modern-day situations where groups of people are being forced to leave their homes? How do you think we can help them keep their cultures alive? 🌍

You can use these examples to help children investigate how migrations throughout history have shaped the world, highlighting the impact of displacement, conflict, and cultural loss.

1. The Great Migration of Native Americans (Trail of Tears) 🇺🇸

2. The Visigoths and the Fall of Rome 🏛️

3. The Bantu Migration in Africa 🌍

4. The Expansion of the Mongol Empire 🐎

5. The Dutch and British Displacement in South Africa 🇿🇦

6. The Huns and the Movement of Tribes in Europe ⚔️

7. The Arab Expansion and Displacement of Byzantine and Persian Peoples 🌍

8. The Migration of Jewish People During the Diaspora ✡️

We use the Billiard Ball Migration Chart H07 to visually demonstrate how one group’s displacement leads to a chain reaction, pushing others out of their land. Each group is represented by a different color, showing how one invasion or conflict causes each group to move, just like billiard balls colliding. This chart makes the idea of forced migration clearer by illustrating how one event can trigger a series of displacements, helping children understand the concept in a simple, visual way.

With Montessori joy,
Vanina 😊