Global population, where next?
In October 2011 the world’s seven billionth baby was born in the Philippines. Obviously, a
global population of seven billion poses opportunities and challenges.
Student tasks
1. Click on this link for the webpage http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/7-billion and
move to the bottom of the page to see the current estimated world population.
Make a note of the time and the number.
2. Use the table below to calculate the time it took to reach
each billion e.g. 123 years between one and two billions.
World population landmarks
1 billion
1804
2 billion
1927
3 billion
1960
4 billion
1974
5 billion
1987
6 billion
1999
7 billion
2012
3. Watch the video on http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/7-billion about world
population at seven billion.
4. Write five things that you have found out from the video. You might want to watch it
again.
5. What surprised you most of all?
6. Why did it surprise you?
7. Your teacher will use the IWB to collate the different points which have surprised
you most of all for the class. Number each point.
8. Work in groups of four. Discuss the challenges and opportunities posed by a
rising global population for each of the points on the whiteboard.
9. Summarise your group discussion on paper slips from your teacher.
10. Take it in turns for someone from each group to place the challenges and
opportunities from your discussions on a class poster. You must add a point which
no other group has made. Continue this until no group can add any new points.
11. Before you leave the lesson, check the world population again. How has it changed
during your Geography lesson?
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Global population, where next?
Teaching notes
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Students work initially individually, then in small groups and finally as a class.
Activities can be given time limits as appropriate.
Students may need to be encouraged to give balanced responses about
opportunities and challenges.
Preparation
 Activity 9 will require paper slips pre-cut for student responses.
 Activity 10 will require one or two large posters on the classroom wall. Two different
colours of paper could be used, one for the challenges and a second for the
opportunities.
Lesson
The population counter at the start and end of the lesson reinforces the message about
the rate of change of world population. Students could be asked to predict the world
population for their next lesson.
As students arrive, tell they can be told that the poster(s) will be full by the end of the
lesson.
Alternative population counters are available at:
http://www.worldometers.info/world-population
http://opr.princeton.edu/popclock
http://www.eahdfoundation.org/world_live_clock.ph
http://www.poodwaddle.com/clocks/worldclock
It is possible to generate an interesting discussion with students as to why these counters
supply different estimates of the current world population.
Extension activity
Students could categorise the opportunities and challenges under social, economic and
environmental headings.
An alternative could be to set this activity as a homework exercise. This is then a useful
assessment of how well students have engaged with the lesson.
Related activity
The website, http://visual.ly/if-world-were-100-people has an interesting approach as it
represents the world population as an infographic of 100 people. A similar 2010 approach
is available in a thee minute YouTube video at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6eTr4ldDYg.
© www.teachitgeography.co.uk 2013
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