Resources for Middle School Lessons on POPULATION Issues
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POPULATION "PYRAMIDS"
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OTHER SOURCES for Population Pyramids: The U.S. Census Bureau is a great source for Population Pyramids from around the world, including population pyramids using historical data and other population pyramids with population projections into the future. Population Pyramids of the World also has an easy to navigate site from which you can pull up population pyramids by region and by country.
POPULATION HISTORY OF THE WORLD VIDEO
This is a fun - and very informative - video from the Zero Population Growth people. Each dot represents 1 million people. The date is always shown in the lower left and little drawings representing major world events are shown in the lower right. I tell my students to watch for some specific things, including (1) the first place inside the current US borders to get a dot, (2) what happens to dots in Europe when the Black Death drawing pops up on the screen, (3) what happens to China when the Mongols drawing pops up on the screen, and (4) what happens to population worldwide when the modern medicine drawing pops up. I often show it twice (which is easy, since it's very short). They are fascinated by it, and many of them are ticked off that they missed one of the things I told them to watch for.
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Seven big problems for 7 billion people
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Below are excerpts from a 2011 article on the MSNBC web site. At the end of the excerpts on this page, you will find a list of seven major challenges of a huge global population. I encourage you to also go to the full article, because these seven challenges are addressed by seven experts who suggest strategies for coping with these challenges. I love hopeful information!
Residents crowd in a swimming pool to escape the summer heat during a hot spell in Daying county of Suining, Sichuan province.
In October 2011, the world's population is projected to hit 7 billion. Is that a cause for celebration or concern?
A little bit of both, according to the United Nations Population Fund. The organization, an international development agency that promotes the right of every person to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity, on Wednesday released a report detailing the achievements and setbacks faced by an ever-crowded world.
How we respond now will determine whether we have a healthy, sustainable and prosperous future or one that is marked by inequalities, environmental decline and economic setbacks, according to "The State of World Population 2011" report.
The report notes that the record population can be viewed as a success because it means people are living longer — average life expectancy has increased from about 48 years in the early 1950s to about 68 in the first decade of the 21st century — and more children are surviving worldwide. But not everyone has benefited from a higher quality of life.
In some of the poorest countries women are having more babies, stalling development and perpetuating poverty. In some of the wealthier countries low fertility rates and a shortage of workers are raising concerns about the sustainability of economic growth and social programs.
World population by the billions
1 billion - 1804
2 billion - 1927
3 billion - 1959
4 billion - 1974
5 billion - 1987
6 billion - 1999
7 billion - 2011
"This report makes the case that with planning and the right investments in people now — to empower them to make choices that are not only good for themselves but for our global commons — our world of 7 billion can have thriving, sustainable cities, productive labor forces that can fuel economic growth, youth populations that contribute to the well-being of economies and societies, and a generation of older people who are healthy and actively engaged in the social and economic affairs of their communities," writes Babatunde Osotimehin, executive director of the UNFPA.
The 7 billion milestone “is a challenge, an opportunity and a call to action,” Osotimehin said.
Problem: Food shortage, damage to environment
The next 2 billion people the demographers expect by 2050 will cause much more environmental damage than did the last 2 billion added to our population. That is because human beings are smart, and picked the low-hanging fruit first. Thus each added individual, on average, must now be fed from more marginal land, supplied with water from more distant or more polluted sources, obtain the metals required to make the products he or she consumes from poorer ores, etc.
Problem: Access to information technology, education
As the world population exceeds 7 billion people, we must ensure that all are armed with the skills to leverage the vast powers of information technology to improve their lives. Furthermore, we must increase the level of education for all residents of our planet for the mutual benefit of our global society.
Problem: Women's rights and gender inequality
When the planet is overpopulated, the weakest in society are hurt the most because strained resources go to those with more power.
Problem: Climate change
Global climate change offers a cruel paradox: The poorest people on earth contribute least to climate change but are likely to suffer its worst consequences since they have the fewest resources to adapt and respond.
Problem: Energy
Experts predict that energy demand will double by 2050 and that's a very conservative estimate.
Problem: Water
One least-understood problem about such insane growth is the potential for regional wars to control water resources.
Problem: Consumer innovation
Worldwide, 86% of consumers are going to be in parts of the world with GDP per capita less than $10,000. But our technology innovation has not shifted to focus on that 86%.
A little bit of both, according to the United Nations Population Fund. The organization, an international development agency that promotes the right of every person to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity, on Wednesday released a report detailing the achievements and setbacks faced by an ever-crowded world.
How we respond now will determine whether we have a healthy, sustainable and prosperous future or one that is marked by inequalities, environmental decline and economic setbacks, according to "The State of World Population 2011" report.
The report notes that the record population can be viewed as a success because it means people are living longer — average life expectancy has increased from about 48 years in the early 1950s to about 68 in the first decade of the 21st century — and more children are surviving worldwide. But not everyone has benefited from a higher quality of life.
In some of the poorest countries women are having more babies, stalling development and perpetuating poverty. In some of the wealthier countries low fertility rates and a shortage of workers are raising concerns about the sustainability of economic growth and social programs.
World population by the billions
1 billion - 1804
2 billion - 1927
3 billion - 1959
4 billion - 1974
5 billion - 1987
6 billion - 1999
7 billion - 2011
"This report makes the case that with planning and the right investments in people now — to empower them to make choices that are not only good for themselves but for our global commons — our world of 7 billion can have thriving, sustainable cities, productive labor forces that can fuel economic growth, youth populations that contribute to the well-being of economies and societies, and a generation of older people who are healthy and actively engaged in the social and economic affairs of their communities," writes Babatunde Osotimehin, executive director of the UNFPA.
The 7 billion milestone “is a challenge, an opportunity and a call to action,” Osotimehin said.
Problem: Food shortage, damage to environment
The next 2 billion people the demographers expect by 2050 will cause much more environmental damage than did the last 2 billion added to our population. That is because human beings are smart, and picked the low-hanging fruit first. Thus each added individual, on average, must now be fed from more marginal land, supplied with water from more distant or more polluted sources, obtain the metals required to make the products he or she consumes from poorer ores, etc.
Problem: Access to information technology, education
As the world population exceeds 7 billion people, we must ensure that all are armed with the skills to leverage the vast powers of information technology to improve their lives. Furthermore, we must increase the level of education for all residents of our planet for the mutual benefit of our global society.
Problem: Women's rights and gender inequality
When the planet is overpopulated, the weakest in society are hurt the most because strained resources go to those with more power.
Problem: Climate change
Global climate change offers a cruel paradox: The poorest people on earth contribute least to climate change but are likely to suffer its worst consequences since they have the fewest resources to adapt and respond.
Problem: Energy
Experts predict that energy demand will double by 2050 and that's a very conservative estimate.
Problem: Water
One least-understood problem about such insane growth is the potential for regional wars to control water resources.
Problem: Consumer innovation
Worldwide, 86% of consumers are going to be in parts of the world with GDP per capita less than $10,000. But our technology innovation has not shifted to focus on that 86%.
Other free online population lesson resources
Click on a logo to go directly to that web site.
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World of 7 Billion web site includes lots of free teacher resources in addition to general information about global population issues.
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This link takes you to the Population Reference Bureau's page of lesson plans and teaching materials.
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