Empowering Global Citizens

Unit 8.3

Topic Population Pyramids and Introduction to Basic Demography
Theme Global risk: economic; demography; and poverty

Region Various

Length Two weeks

Overview

This unit builds on an introduction to the study of demography and popu—
lation studies and introduces the concepts of mortality, fertility, marriage,
and migration levels and patterns. Students will be introduced to the main
sources of demographic information. The teacher will introduce the concept
of distribution of populations by categories (age, sex, race, and ethnicity)
and the concepts of density, distribution, and scale. Concepts of birthrates,
mortality rates, fertility rates, age—dependency ratios, and age—sex graphs are
explained. The teacher also introduces several sources of demographic data
and displays and explains several population charts.

Goals and Objectives

1. Learn the basic concepts of demographic analyses and population
studies.

2. Inspire students to pursue independent studies of populations us—
ing the sources provided in this unit, and ask questions such as the
following: How does the study of past demographic trends help to
predict future demographic structures? How do changes in demo—
graphic structures affect social, political, and economic events?

3. Act by examining the relationship of populations to sociological

and cultural changes and to political and economic development.

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