Environment & Ecology Lab

Human Population Dynamics

LAB: WORLD POPULATION

INTRODUCTION

Demography is the statistical study of human populations, especially with reference to size, density, distribution, and vital statistics (relating to births, deaths, marriages, health and disease, etc.). In making population projections for different countries, demographers look at the profile of other countries’ residents. They ask: What are the ages of the people? How many are men? How many are women? Using this information, they construct age structure diagrams to illustrate the configuration of a country’s population as shaped by 70 to 80 years of economic, political and natural events. These graphs can also be used to help predict future population trends.

In this activity, you will be assigned to a region of the world that you are responsible for becoming an expert on. You will meet with other individuals from your expert group and complete a worksheet to familiarize you with this region. You will then report back to a base group that will contain at least one individual from each region of the world. Each individual will share his or her data with the group and everyone will complete a second worksheet.

MATERIALS

one ambassador card per expert group

one base group worksheet and one expert group worksheet for each individual

PROCEDURE

Expert group discussion – Meet with other members of your region and complete a worksheet for their region. One student from each group is elected ambassador for that country and is given an information card to help guide your work.

Team reporting – Meet with base groups and complete a worksheet that draws on information from all five regions.

Population in Thousands (1995)

United States / Brazil / China
Age Group / M / % / F / % / M / % / F / % / M / % / F / %
0-4 / 10015 / 10009 / 8643 / 8286 / 55642 / 51073
5-9 / 9610 / 9147 / 8787 / 8625 / 59714 / 57549
10-14 / 9445 / 8982 / 8874 / 8800 / 47233 / 43974
15-19 / 8339 / 8500 / 8114 / 8095 / 49232 / 46016
20-24 / 9366 / 8906 / 7354 / 7387 / 62779 / 58952
25-29 / 10006 / 9639 / 6839 / 6857 / 65023 / 60822
30-34 / 10990 / 10848 / 6652 / 6690 / 54417 / 50205
35-39 / 11096 / 11140 / 5638 / 5716 / 43295 / 39874
40-44 / 10031 / 10137 / 4723 / 4826 / 44159 / 41285
45-49 / 8717 / 8934 / 3754 / 3847 / 32604 / 29614
50-54 / 6739 / 7026 / 2911 / 3005 / 25235 / 22416
55-59 / 5361 / 5761 / 2437 / 2560 / 22969 / 20490
60-64 / 4771 / 5369 / 1923 / 2070 / 20212 / 18662
65-69 / 4509 / 5439 / 1529 / 1694 / 15522 / 14943
70-74 / 3876 / 5173 / 1060 / 1224 / 10807 / 11324
75+ / 5034 / 9097 / 1083 / 1373 / 10272 / 13007
Total
(M or F) / 129012 / 134107 / 80319 / 81055 / 619126 / 580206
Total (M+F) / 263119 / 161374 / 1199332
Kenya / Austria
Age Group / M / % / F / % / M / % / F / %
0-4 / 2249 / 2214 / 249 / 236
5-9 / 2232 / 2219 / 237 / 224
10-14 / 1928 / 1919 / 242 / 232
15-19 / 1655 / 1656 / 233 / 221
20-24 / 1290 / 1296 / 279 / 267
25-29 / 1016 / 1024 / 346 / 332
30-34 / 820 / 828 / 354 / 346
35-39 / 654 / 665 / 306 / 305
40-44 / 517 / 531 / 259 / 258
45-49 / 380 / 396 / 254 / 252
50-54 / 265 / 282 / 253 / 227
55-59 / 233 / 255 / 215 / 222
60-64 / 205 / 225 / 178 / 195
65-69 / 152 / 169 / 166 / 209
70-74 / 105 / 117 / 127 / 226
75+ / 112 / 146 / 151 / 352
Total
(M or F) / 13811 / 13940 / 3849 / 4133
Total (M+F) / 27751 / 7981

Part I. Population Demographics – Ambassador reads statistics A, B, and C

1. Use the data on the following sheets to construct an age-structure diagram for the country in your assigned region.

Age / Male / Female
75+
70-74
65-69
60-64
55-59
50-54
45-49
40-44
35-39
30-34
25-29
20-24
15-19
10-14
5-9
0-4

2. What can you predict about the future population of this country based on the above diagram?

3. Use the information given on the ambassador card to calculate the growth rate for your region. Show all calculations in the space below.

4. Use the information given on the ambassador card to calculate the doubling time for your region. The doubling time is the period of time required for a population to double in size or value.

The doubling time is a unit for the exponential growth equation.

For example, given Canada's net population growth of 0.9% in the year 2006, dividing 70 (from 70 rule) by 0.9 gives an approximate doubling time of 78 years. Thus if the growth rate remains constant, Canada's population would double from its 2006 figure of 33 million to 66 million by 2084. Show all calculations in the space below.

Part II. Quality of Life – Ambassador reads statistics D, E, F, G

5. What percentage of boys and girls (ages 12-17) are enrolled in school in your region. Do you consider this to be high or low?

6. What is the infant mortality rate in your region? Do you consider this to be high or low?

7. Are women in your region reproducing below, at or above the replacement rate?

8. What is the life expectancy in your region? Do you consider this to be high or low?

Part III. Land Use Patterns – Ambassador reads statistics H and I

9. What percentage of your people are living in urban areas? Do you think that this number will increase or decrease in the future? Explain.

10. How many acres of arable land are available per person in your region?


Worksheet for Base Groups

1. What is the current situation with world population? Why has the population increased so dramatically over the last century?

2. Rank the regions (countries) in order from highest population growth rate to lowest.

3. Based on the age-structure diagrams that you have created, which region do you expect to have the most rapid population growth? Explain.

4. Describe the population growth problems that China has had and how they have dealt with them.

5. Describe the population growth problems that India has had and how they have dealt with them.

6. Describe the population growth problems that Kenya has had and how they have dealt with them.

7. Describe the population growth problems that the United States has had and how they have dealt with them.

8. What is the connection between education, fertility rates, and infant mortality rates?

9. What is the connection between infant mortality rates and fertility rates?

10. What are some of the societal or cultural influences on population growth?


Ambassador Cards

I am the North American Ambassador. Here are some statistics that shape my region of world:

A. North America’s population is estimated at: 295 million

B. Our birth rate is: 15 per 1000

C. Our death rate: 9 per 1000

D. Of our 12-17 years olds, 99% of the boys, and 98% of the girls are enrolled in school.

E. North American women bear an average of: 2.0 children

F. Our infant mortality rate is: 7 per 1000

G. Our life expectancy at birth is: 76 years

H. The percentage of our people living in urban areas is: 75%

I. Acres of arable land available per person: 2.0 acres

I am the Latin American Ambassador. Here are some statistics that shape my region of the world.

A. Latin American’s population is estimated at: 486 million

B. Our birth rate is: 26 per 1000

C. Our death rate is: 7 per 1000

D. Of our 12-17 years old, 50% of the boys, and 53% of the girls are enrolled in school.

E. Latin American women bear an average of: 3.1 children

F. Our infant mortality rate: 43 per 1000

G. Our life expectancy at birth is: 69 years

H. The percentage of our people living urban areas is: 71%

I. Acres of arable land available per person: 0.7 acres

I am the European Ambassador: Here are some statistics that shape my region of the world.

A. Europe’s population is estimated at: 728 million

B. Our birth rate is: 11per 1000

C. Our death rate is: 11 per 1000

D. Of our 12-17 years old, 89% of the boys, and 94% of the girls are enrolled in school.

E. European women bear an average of: 1.5 children

F. Our infant mortality rate: 11 per 1000

G. Our life expectancy at birth is: 73 years

H. The percentage of our people living urban areas is: 74%

I. Acres of arable land available per person: 0.5 acres

I am the African Ambassador: Here are some statistics that shape my region of the world.

A. Africa’s population is estimated at: 728 million

B. Our birth rate is: 41 per 1000

C. Our death rate is: 13 per 1000

D. Of our 12-17 years old, 36% of the boys, and 30% of the girls are enrolled in school.

E. African women bear an average of: 5.7 children

F. Our infant mortality rate: 91 per 1000

G. Our life expectancy at birth is: 73 years

H. The percentage of our people living urban areas is: 31%

I. Acres of arable land available per person: 0.6 acres

I am the Asian Ambassador: Here are some statistics that shape my region of the world.

A. Asian’s population is estimated at: 3 billion, 501 million

B. Our birth rate is: 24 per 1000

C. Our death rate is: 8 per 1000

D. Of our 12-17 years-old, 57% of the boys, and 45% of the girls are enrolled in school.

E. Asian women bear an average of: 2.9 children

F. Our infant mortality rate: 62 per 1000

G. Our life expectancy at birth is: 65 years

H. The percentage of our people living urban areas is: 33%

I. Acres of arable land available per person: 0.3 acres