Unit 4: Population and Human Ecology
Essential Questions: How do we study populations? How is the human population changing and affecting the world?
Standards:
- SEV3. Students will describe stability and change in ecosystems.
d. Explain how biotic and abiotic factors affect populations.
- SEV5. Students will recognize that human beings are part of the global ecosystem and will evaluate the effects of human activities and technology on ecosystems.
- Describe factors affecting population growth of all organisms, including humans. Relate these to factors affecting growth rates and carrying capacity of the environment.
- Describe the effects of population growth, demographic transitions, cultural differences, emergent diseases, etc. on society stability.
- Explain how human activities affect global and local sustainability.
- Describe how political, legal, social, and economic decisions may affect global and local ecosystems.
Objectives: Students will be able to…
- Define population and the three traits used to describe populations: size, density, and dispersion
- Explain how populations change in size and apply the formula for growth rate
- Differentiate between the two types of population growth
- Describe and give examples of density-dependent and density-independent factors that limit population growth
- Define reproductive potential and list traits of organisms that have high and low reproductive potential
- Contrast r-selected and K-selected species and give examples for each
- Compare and contrast developed versus developing countries and give examples for each
- Explain factors that affect a country’s population growth
- Apply the use of age structure diagrams to predict changes in population size
- Define doubling time and apply the Rule of 70 formula to actual populations
- Describe the Demographic Transition Model
- List and explain problems with human population growth
- Identify and debate possible solutions for slowing human population growth
Unit 4: Vocabulary
Instructions: Define using the definitions found in our Global Science textbook. Remember to complete a Vocab Menu Option as part of the vocabulary assignment.
- Carrying capacity
- Demography
- Demographic transition
(write entire definition)
- Developed countries
(write entire definition)
- Developing countries
(write entire definition)
- Exponential growth
- Family planning
- Growth rate
- Human ecology
- Population
- Population histogram