THE NATION S NEWSPAPER

Transcription

1 Science TODAY Teacer Edition THE NATION S NEWSPAPER Growing bigger by te decade By: Jeff Lukens USA TODAY Snapsots Growing bigger by te decade A new Census report projects tat te USA will remain te world s tird-most-populous country in Te current and projected top five in 2050: 2002 rank Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population 2050 rank Population 1 Cina 1.3 billion 1 India 1.6 billion 2 India 1 billion 2 Cina 1.4 billion 3 USA 288 million 3 USA 420 million 4 Indonesia 231 million 4 Indonesia 336 million 5 Brazil 180 million 5 Nigeria 307 million By Sannon Reilly and Julie Snider, USA TODAY Activity at a Glance: Grade level: 8-12 Subject: Biology/ Environmental Science Estimated time required: minutes Materials: TI-83 Plus family or TI-84 Plus family Overead view screen calculator for instruction/demonstration Student andout Transparency USA TODAY newspapers (recommended) Prerequisites: Students sould be able to: Activity Overview: Students will examine te current and predicted population data from te countries included in te USA TODAY Snapsot "Growing bigger by te decade." Using tis data, tey will calculate te percent cange in te number of people in eac country and determine wic of te countries is growing at te fastest rate. Tey will be asked to answer questions suc as: Wic countries are growing te fastest? Wat would be te predicted impact of an increase in te population of tese countries? Are tere oter countries were population growt is close to zero? Wic countries ave a population tat is decreasing? enter data into te List Editor. manipulate data in te List Editor by entering formulas in lists. calculate percent cange. Concepts: Calculating percent cange Global population growt Evaluating predictions Population density COPYRIGHT 2004 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co., Inc. Tis activity was created for use wit Texas Instruments andeld tecnology. Copyrigt 2000 by te National Council of Teacers of Matematics, Inc. All rigts reserved. SCIENCE TODAY TEACHER EDITION

2 Growing bigger by te decade Objectives: Students will: calculate te projected cange in population for several countries. calculate te projected percent cange in te populations. use te List Editor of te graping calculator to enter formulas and manipulate lists. calculate population density of te countries in te USA TODAY Snapsot. Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau National Science Education Standards: Grades 9-12: Life Science Te Interdependence of Organisms Background: In tis activity, students will examine current and projected population data in several countries. Tey will use te graping calculator to determine te predicted cange in population and te predicted percent cange in population over te first alf of te 21st Century. Many experts claim tat te eart is quickly reacing its carrying capacity for umans and tis activity will demonstrate to students ow fast uman populations are growing. It is important for students to recognize tat some countries are growing at a muc faster rate tan oters. Teir understanding of percent cange in population will elp tem appreciate te importance of population growt. Preparation: Living organisms ave te capacity to produce populations of infinite size, but environments and resources are finite. Tis fundamental tension as profound effects on te interactions between organisms. (p.186) Human beings live witin te world's ecosystems. Increasingly, umans modify ecosystems as a result of population growt, tecnology, and consumption. Human destruction of abitats troug direct arvesting, pollution, atmosperic canges, and oter factors is treatening current global stability, and if not addressed, ecosystems will be irreversibly affected. (p.186) Provide one graping andeld for eac student. Eac student sould ave a copy of te corresponding student activity seet. Familiarize students wit reading a bar grap. Additional Resources: Classroom Management Tips: Students will ave a better understanding of ow to read te grapic and retrieve data if you use te transparency for a class discussion before te students start working. Remind students to read carefully all parts of te grapic before tey start collecting data. Students can work individually or in small groups on tis activity. Working in groups is especially elpful as tey learn te various features of te calculator. Ask students to explore population and demograpic websites and assign tem specific topics to explore. If eac student (or pair of students) is assigned a different topic, more information will be gatered by te class. Student andout Transparency TI Tecnology Guide, for information on te following: TI-83 Plus family, TI-84 Plus family, List Editor TI-Navigator TM Basic Skills Guide for information on using te TI- Navigator Classroom Learning System SCIENCE TODAY TEACHER EDITION PAGE 2

3 Growing bigger by te decade Teacer Notes: Activity Extension: Have students locate articles in USA TODAY tat relate to te topic of increasing population in eavily populated countries. How do natural disasters suc as a tsunami impact population? Discuss te impact tat AIDS is aving in countries suc as Nigeria, and ave students brainstorm about ow te AIDS epidemic may furter impact African nations by te year Ask students to researc ow muc of te land area of te various countries is actually considered inabitable. Ten, ave tem recalculate te number of people per inabitable km 2. Have students convert te number of people per square kilometer to te number of people per square mile. 1 km2 = mi 2. Ask students to researc wen and ow tis type of data would be used and find an example in USA TODAY. Discuss some "limiting factors" tat may serve to impose restrictions on te projected growt of te population in some of te countries in te USA TODAY Snapsot. Have te students write about te impact of an exploding population on te ability to provide food for everyone in tat population. Consider topics suc as land use, raising animals for food, eating "low on te food cain," etc. If students ave access to computers, tey may want to explore te Worldfacts website ( Demograpic information is available on eac country in te world. Curriculum Connections: Algebra I World Geograpy World History SCIENCE TODAY TEACHER EDITION PAGE 3

4 Growing bigger by te decade Assessment and Evaluation: Country Cina India USA Indonesia Brazil Nigeria 2002 Population (millions) Population (millions) Q. Wat is te projected cange in millions of people for eac of te countries listed in te USA TODAY Snapsot? A. Cina: 100 million India: 600 million USA: 132 million Indonesia: 105 million Brazil: 48 million Nigeria: 176 million Q. Wic country is projected to ave te largest cange in population from 2002 to 2050? A. India Q. Wat is te projected percent cange in population for eac of te countries in te USA TODAY Snapsot from 2002 to 2050? A. Cina: 7.7% India: 60% USA: 45.8% Indonesia: 45.5% Brazil: 26.7% Nigeria: 134.4% Q. Wic country is projected to ave te largest percent cange in population from 2002 to te predicted 2050 population? Q. Wat are some reasons a country would ave a cange in population tat appears small, but actually ave a percent cange in population tat is large? A. Because te percent cange is relative to te starting population. For example, a country tat starts wit 1 million people and adds anoter million sows a percent cange of 100%. On te oter and, a country tat starts wit 5 million people and also adds one million sows a percent cange of only 20%. SCIENCE TODAY TEACHER EDITION PAGE 4

5 Growing bigger by te decade Assessment and Evaluation (continued): Q. Eac of te countries in te USA TODAY Snapsot is listed below wit its land area. Use your calculator in any way you wis to calculate te number of people per square kilometer for eac country in Tis is called "population density". Next, calculate te projected number of people per square kilometer in A. See table below. Country Cina India USA Indonesia Brazil Nigeria People/km 2 in People/km 2 in Q. Wic country is projected to ave te greatest increase in population density? Q. Wic country is projected to ave te greatest percent increase in population density? If you are using te TI-Navigator Classroom Learning System, send te provided LearningCeck assessment to your class to gauge student understanding of te concepts presented in te activity. See te TI-Navigator Basic Skills Guide for additional information on ow tis classroom learning system may be integrated into te activity. SCIENCE TODAY TEACHER EDITION PAGE 5