Ecology

Lesson 2.6 Teacher’s Guide

Human Populations

Standards:

Benchmarks:

Learning targets

LT1: I can describe the historical changes of the global human population.

LT2: I can describe human population patterns for different countries today.

Tentative Timeline:

Overall time frame: 6-7 days

2.6.1 Human Populations Introduction 1 day

2.6.2 Introductory Videos 1 day with 2.6.3

2.6.3 Human Population Key Information

2.6.4 Human Population Block Lab 1 day

2.6.5 NOVA Activity half a day

2.6.6 World in the Balance video 1 day

2.6.7 How Many Billion People on Earth? 1 day

2.6.8 Humans and Climate Change 1 day with 2.6.9

2.6.9 Formative Quiz

Ecology

Lesson 2.6

Human Populations

“The key problem facing humanity in the coming century is how to bring a better quality of life -- for 8 billion or more people -- without wrecking the environment entirely in the attempt.”

 - Edward O. Wilson, scientist, Pulitzer prize winning author

All lined up and ready to go. Crowds of people await the release of the new iPhone in Geneva, Switzerland. Photo by David Roessli, 2008.

Learning Targets:

Students: Rate yourself on the benchmarks using the 1-4 rubric below. Keep track of your learning and revisit your ratings after each lesson. Build your understanding of the objectives and how they apply to populations, ecosystems, and the environment.

Rubric:

1 - I have never seen this learning target before.

2 - I have seen this learning target, but I don't know what it means.

3 - I have seen this learning target, and I think I know what it means.

4 - I can explain this learning target to another student.

My rating (students):

Learning Targets

_______

LT1: I can describe the historical changes of the global human population.

_______

LT2: I can describe human population patterns for different countries today.

Lesson Vocabulary

Scientist Spotlight - Wangari Maathai

 University of Nairobi, Kenya, etc.

Wangari Maathai (1940-2011) was the founder of the Green Belt Movement and the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate for her "contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace". Maathai stood up courageously against the former oppressive regime in Kenya. Her unique forms of action have contributed to drawing attention to political oppression—nationally and internationally. She has served as inspiration for many in the fight for democratic rights and has especially encouraged women to better their situation.

She authored four books: The Green Belt Movement; Unbowed: A Memoir; The Challenge for Africa; and Replenishing the Earth. As well as having been featured in a number of books, she and the Green Belt Movement were the subject of a documentary film, Taking Root: the Vision of Wangari Maathai (Marlboro Productions, 2008). The Green Belt Movement encouraged the women to work together to grow seedlings and plant trees to bind the soil, store rainwater, provide food and firewood, and receive a small monetary token for their work. Maathai was an avid environmental and political activist as well as a prominent scientist.

Wangari Muta Maathai was born in Nyeri, a rural area of Kenya (Africa), in 1940. She obtained a degree in Biological Sciences from Mount St. Scholastica College in Atchison, Kansas (1964), a Master of Science degree from the University of Pittsburgh (1966), and pursued doctoral studies in Germany and the University of Nairobi, before obtaining a Ph.D. (1971) from the University of Nairobi, where she also taught veterinary anatomy. The first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a doctorate degree, Professor Maathai became chair of the Department of Veterinary Anatomy and an associate professor in 1976 and 1977 respectively. In both cases, she was the first woman to attain those positions in the region.

Apps to explore:

Population Statistics (try free on Chrome Store, buy $1.99)

Footprints (free on Chrome Store)

2.6.2 Introductory Videos

World Population -heartbeats!

7 Billion: How Did We Get So Big So Fast? - wicked cool!

Human Population Growth - Crash Course Ecology #3

2.6.3 Human Population Key Information

2.6.4 Human Population Block Lab

Teachers: It’s a good idea to make a classroom set of blocks (using whatever materials you have available) ahead of time.

2.6.5 NOVA Activity

2.6.6 World In The Balance Video

-Answer Key

2.6.7 How Many Billion People on Earth?

World Population Clock Answer key

  1. Varies by date/time
  2. China, India, United States, Indonesia, Brazil
  3. Birth, death, international migration, and the net gain. One birth every 7 seconds is the fastest component.
  4. The South
  5. Larger groups have gotten older. There are fewer babies.
  6. 40 year olds. 22-23 year old males.
  7. There is a high correlation between most populous cities and most populous states.

World of 7 Billion Wall Chart Answer key

  1. 1 Billion people in 1804, 5 Billion people in 1987, and 7 Billion people in 2011.
  2. Exponential or super-exponential growth.
  3. The American Civil War - 620,000 people died.
  4. GE developed the first sealed refrigerator. This resulted in fewer food related illnesses and deaths.
  5. Antibiotics fight infections and resulted in increased life expectancy worldwide.
  6. There were 60 million deaths in WWII.
  7. 1971
  8. In 1960, the fertility rate was 4.8. That means on average, each woman has almost 5 children.
  9. In 2011, the literacy rate was 84%. That means that 84% of the people on earth can read.
  10. In 2011, the urban population was 50%. That means that half the people on earth live in cities.

Page 2

  1. 6.2-15.8 Billion people are projected to be living on earth in 2100.
  2. The Demographic Transition Model shows the stages of countries’ populations moving from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates as they industrialize and their economies grow.
  3. Demographers use population pyramids to predict future growth trends by country.
  4. Half the people on earth still live on less than $2 per day and there are many environmental challenges as well.
  5. Increasing linearly.
  6. The Caribbean coral reefs have shrunk to 14% and the rainforests have shrunk from 15% of all land area to only 5%.
  7. We can end poverty and hunger, reduce child mortality, and improve mental health.
  8. We can reduce our own personal global footprint to conserve resources.

2.6.8 Human and Climate Change

2.6.9 Quiz

  1. What country has the most people?
  1. China
  2. India
  3. United States
  4. Brazil
  1. What is the study of human populations called?
  1. geography
  2. demography
  3. biology
  4. lepidoptery
  1. What disease is causing many Kenyans to die?
  1. malaria
  2. ebola
  3. SARS
  4. AIDS
  1. What is happening to the population of Japan?
  1. increasing
  2. decreasing
  3. staying the same
  4. increasing greatly due to migration
  1. What US state has the greatest population?
  1. Minnesota
  2. Texas
  3. New York
  4. California

Citations

Figure 2.6.1 Roessli, David. "All lined up and ready to go." CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Figure 2.6.2 flick 1 (Nobel Laureate Professor Wangari Maathai with US senator Barack Obama in Nairobi, Kenya) by Fredrick Onyango / CC BY 2.0

"Climate Choices - Children's Voices."Children Challenging Climate Change. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 July 2014. <http://www.climatechoices.org.uk/>.

"Home." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 20 July 2014. <http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/>. 

Lewis, Susan. "Be a Demographer." PBS. PBS, 20 Apr. 2004. Web. 22 July 2014. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/earth/demographic-data.html>.

Miller, Kenneth R., and Joseph S. Levine. "Populations." Biology. Teacher ed. Boston, MA: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2010. 142-145. Print.

"TerraPass | Fight climate change, reduce your carbon footprint." TerraPass. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 July 2014. <http://www.terrapass.com/>.

"United States Census Bureau."Population Clock. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 July 2014. <http://www.census.gov/popclock/>.

"Quotes." World Population Balance Quotes. World Population Balance, n.d. Web. 15 July 2014. <http://www.worldpopulationbalance.org/quotes>.

"Wangari Maathai." The Green Belt Movement. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 July 2014. <http://www.greenbeltmovement.org/wangari-maathai>.

"Wangari Maathai." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 13 July 2014. Web. 15 July 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wangari_Maathai>.

"World." World of 7 Billion. Population Education, n.d. Web. 22 July 2014. <http://www.worldof7billion.org/>.