Cultural & Environmental Education
National Co-ordinator
Administrator
Conor Harrison
Catherine Begley
Mobile: 087 – 240 5710
Phone number 01 4358585
E-mail: conorharrison@pdst.ie
E-mail : catherinebegley@pdst.ie
The PDST is funded by the Department of Education and Skills
under the National Development Plan, 2007-2013
Population
 Spaceship Earth
 People and planet
 Inspectorate encourages the study of population in 1st
Year
 Reduce emphasis on Physical in 1st Year
 Population often regarded as challenging
 Relevant to Junior and Leaving Certificate
The PDST is funded by the Department of Education and Skills
under the National Development Plan, 2007-2013
Population Supporting Literacy
 Matching exercise
 Crossword
 Word search
 Differentiated cloze tests
The PDST is funded by the Department of Education and Skills
under the National Development Plan, 2007-2013
Population Distribution Map
 There are 100 figures on the sheet
 Each figure represents 1% of the World’s population
 Place the figures where you think they should be on
the map of the world
 Stick the figures
 Work out the percentage in each continent
The PDST is funded by the Department of Education and Skills
under the National Development Plan, 2007-2013
Continent
Percentage
Africa
15
Asia
60
Europe
11
Latin America and Caribean
8.5
North America
5
Oceania
0.5
Antarctica
0
World
100
The PDST is funded by the Department of Education and Skills
under the National Development Plan, 2007-2013
Reasons for High Densities
 Intensive agriculture
 Rich alluvial soils
 Flat land
 Climate
 Industry
 Trade
 Communications
The PDST is funded by the Department of Education and Skills
under the National Development Plan, 2007-2013
Reasons for Low Densities
• Climate
too cold
too dry
• Poor soils
• Relief
too high
too exposed
• Isolation
The PDST is funded by the Department of Education and Skills
under the National Development Plan, 2007-2013
Google Tour
 Philadelphia
 Sahara Desert
 Bangladesh
 Amazon Rainforest
 Antarctica
The PDST is funded by the Department of Education and Skills
under the National Development Plan, 2007-2013
Map Activity Integrating Numeracy
 Working out densities using multiplication
 Working out average densities
 Graded worksheet
The PDST is funded by the Department of Education and Skills
under the National Development Plan, 2007-2013
Map 1
Map 2
Population Density on OS Maps
 Marsh and boggy land
 Floodplains
 Relief
 Urban areas
 Urban sprawl
 Fertile agricultural land
The PDST is funded by the Department of Education and Skills
under the National Development Plan, 2007-2013
Population Change Activity
 Read the statements
 Decide whether each statement will cause the birth or
death rate to rise or fall
 Stick the statement onto the placemat
The PDST is funded by the Department of Education and Skills
under the National Development Plan, 2007-2013
Graphing Natural Population
Change
 Graph the birth rate for each decade from 1950 to
2009
 Graph the death rate for each decade from 1950 to
2009
 Shade in the natural change
The PDST is funded by the Department of Education and Skills
under the National Development Plan, 2007-2013
Natural Change Graph
 Title
 Axes named
 Units shown
 Birth rate graph
 Death rate graph
 Natural increase shaded
The PDST is funded by the Department of Education and Skills
under the National Development Plan, 2007-2013
Population 1926-2006
4.4
4.2
4.0
Millions
3.8
3.6
3.4
3.2
3.0
2.8
2.6
1926
1936
1946
1956
1966
Years
1976
1986
1996
2006
Components of Population Change
80
70
Thousands
60
50
40
30
20
10
Natural increase
Population change
0
-10
-20
-30
Net migration
-40
-50
6
-0
02
2
-0
96
6
-9
91
1
-9
86
6
-8
81
1
-8
79
9
-7
71
1
-7
66
6
-6
61
1
-6
56
6
-5
51
1
-5
46
6
-4
36
6
-3
26
Intercensal period
Birth/death
rates
40
30
20
10
0
1750
Present
Time
Natural increase
Natural decrease
Total population
Demographic Transition Model
Living graphs
 Humanises the graphical information
 Help students to relate to information
 Encourages thinking
 Placement of statements must be based on
information from the graph
The PDST is funded by the Department of Education and Skills
under the National Development Plan, 2007-2013
Constructing a Population
Pyramid
 Observe blank pyramid on the wall
 Read cards /post-it with names and ages
 Decide where to place card/post-it on the blank
pyramid
 Stick card on the blank pyramid
The PDST is funded by the Department of Education and Skills
under the National Development Plan, 2007-2013
Population Pyramid Animation
 Link to population pyramid animation
 http://www.ined.fr/jeux.php?_movie=/flash/d03/EN/
D03WebSon.swf&titre=Population%20pyramid&lg=en
Population Pyramid Activity
 Read the card
 Decide where to place it on Ireland’s population
pyramid
 Give an explanation
The PDST is funded by the Department of Education and Skills
under the National Development Plan, 2007-2013
Ireland’s Pyramid 2006
Pyramid for Irish Travellers 2006
Age group
(years)
85+
Males
Females
- 84
8080
- 84
75 - 79
Total
- 74
7070
- 74
Traveller
65 - 69
- 64
6060
- 64
55 - 59
- 54
5050
- 54
45 - 49
- 44
4040
- 44
35 - 39
- 24
3030
- 24
25 - 29
- 24
2020
- 24
15 - 19
14
1010- -14
5-9
00 -- 44
8
6
4
Percentage
2
0
0
2
4
Percentage
6
8
Migration Placemat
Blind Drawing Activity
 Pairs sit back to back
 One of the pair faces the screen
 The other faces away
 An image is displayed
 The person facing the screen describes the image to
their partner
 Neither partner must look around
The PDST is funded by the Department of Education and Skills
under the National Development Plan, 2007-2013
Letterfrack 1987