World Population DVD

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This seven minute film depicts the history of human population growth and distribution from 1 AD through the present, then projects future growth to the year 2030.

Eight frames of the film are presented here: the opening in 1 AD; then skipping ahead to 1800, when the population reached the first billion, followed by the years in which the population reached each successive billion; and the closing frame at 2030, showing the 8.2 billion people expected to inhabit the Earth by then if current growth rates continue.

Format:
» Video (included here as stills) and discussion

Grade Levels:
» Intermediate
» Secondary

Materials:
» World Population DVD
» Monitor
» DVD player

Subjects:
» Math
» Science
» Social Studies

Time:
» Prep: None
» Video: 7 minutes
» Discussion: 15 minutes

Facts and Background:

» History of Population Growth Graphic
A table showing milestones in human population growth.

» Human Population J-Curve
A graph of the exponential growth of humans.

» The People Connection
A secondary-level primer on the history of population growth and resource use.

» Population and Environmental Data
A data chart which lists population and environmental data for regions of the world, as well as the 15 most populous countries.

Activities:

» Food for Thought
A simulation where students populate "continents" drawn to scale in yarn on the classroom floor and discuss how people and resources are distributed worldwide.

» Pop Quiz
A pre-test/post-test quiz designed to give teachers and students an overview of world and national population trends.

Standards:

» Geography: Standard 1: The World in Spatial Terms

» Geography: Standard 4: Human Systems

» History (Grades 5-12): World History: Era 9: The 20th Century Since 1945

» History (Grades 5-12): World History Across the Eras

» Mathematics: Numbers and Operations

» Mathematics: Algebra

» Mathematics: Measurement

» Mathematics: Representations

» Science (Grades 5-8): Standard C: Life Science

» Science (Grades 5-8): Standard F: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives