With the spread of the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, dramatic changes began to occur in the populations of industrializing countries. But do the changes that occurred in Western Europe and the United States have relevance for modern countries just entering the industrial age? Students should be able to evaluate and apply models to explain changes in global demographic patterns, and use their assessments to predict future needs. Show Objectives
Content Standards AP Human Geography*: Unit II—Population Unit B. Population growth and decline over time and space 4. Regional variations of demographic transitions Student Activities
Lesson Resources Transitions in World Population, p. 6 and pp. 7-11 (PDF: 320KB) Population: A Lively Introduction, 4th edition (PDF: 260KB) Central Concepts: Demographic transition model; birth rate; death rate; natural increase Activity 1: Explaining Population ChangeThroughout much of history human populations have been characterized by relative stability—high birth rates and high death rates fluctuating around a low growth equilibrium. Dramatic changes followed first the Agricultural Revolution some 8,000 years ago, and later the Industrial Revolution 250 years ago, when improvements in food supply and changes in health and hygiene triggered unprecedented population growth. In the 1930s and 1940s, demographers proposed a model to explain the demographic changes observed in Western Europe between the late 18th and early 20th centuries. This model—the Demographic Transition Model—suggests a shift from high fertility/high mortality to low fertility/low mortality, with an intermediate period of rapid growth during which declining fertility rates lag behind declining mortality rates. This classic model is based on the experience of Western Europe, in particular England and Wales. Materials Needed
Instructions What is “Demographic Transition”? Before beginning this activity, assign the readings as homework.
Alternative Strategy: InstructionsSupply the following data and have the students construct the graph for analysis.
Activity 2: Global Population Patterns and Demographic TransitionsMaterials Needed
Instructions Refer to the current World Population Data Sheet by the Population Reference Bureau to answer the following questions. How Do Demographic Characteristics Vary Among World Regions?
Is There Correlation Between Demographic Indicators and Economic Well-Being? Refer again to the current World Population Data Sheet to complete the chart below:
*GNI PPP refers to gross national income converted to “international” dollars using a purchasing power parity conversion factor. International dollars indicate the amount of goods and services one could buy in the United States with a given amount of money.
Extension Based on the data collected in the final chart above, speculate in which stage of the classic demographic transition model each of these countries would fall.
Activity 3: Can an Old Model Explain New Trends?Introduction The classic Demographic Transition Model is based on the experience of Western Europe, in particular England and Wales. Critics of the model argue that “demographic transition” is a European phenomenon and not necessarily relevant to the experience of other regions, especially those regions referred to as “less developed” or “developing.” The underlying premise of the classic Demographic Transition Model is that all countries will eventually pass through all four stages of the transition, just as the countries of Europe did. Because the countries of Europe, as well as the United States, have achieved economic success and enjoy generally high standards of living, completion of the demographic transition has come to be associated with socioeconomic progress. This raises several questions:
Part One: Does the Classic Demographic Transition Model Provide a Useful Framework for Evaluating Demographic Change in Contemporary Developing Countries?Materials Needed
Instructions Assign the reading above before conducting this activity.
[Note: Data for additional countries can be found in the U.S. Census Bureau International Data Base] Part Two: Is the Demographic Transition Model Useful as a Framework for Evaluating Demographic Change?Materials Needed
Instructions
This lesson plan is part of a teaching package, Making Population Real: New Lesson Plans and Classroom Activities. * AP and the Advanced Placement Program are registered trademarks of the College Entrance Examination Board, which was not involved in the production of these lesson plans. |