Chapter 3: The World's People "The World's Population Clock"

Introduction

Students have read about the world's rapidly growing population. As the population increases each nation must make decisions about how to allocate its resources to meet the needs of its people. Demographers study the characteristics of population. Their work enables governments and businesses to make informed choices. One agency of the U.S. government that works with population is the U.S. Census Bureau.

Lesson Description

Students will visit the U.S. Census Bureau's Web site and research statistics on human population. They will answer several specific questions and then use one of the charts to create a line or bar graph depicting the changes in world population from the year
-10,000 to the year 2000.

National Geography Standards:
Standard 4: The geographically informed person knows and understands the physical and human characteristics of places. Standard 9: The geographically informed person knows and understands the characteristics, distribution, and migration of human populations on Earth's surface.

Instructional Objectives

1. The student will be able to research statistics on human population.
2. The student will be able to create a line or bar graph that depicts changes in world population.

Student Web Activity Answers

1. This figure changes daily. Check the Web site.
2. This figure changes daily. Check the Web site.
3. 4.2 births per second; 1.7 deaths per second
4. 2.4 natural increase per second
5. Graphs will vary based on student choices on time intervals and choice of line or bar graph.

  Go to Student Web Activity