NAME: ________________________________ BLOCK: ___________ DATE: ______________
Population Growth Webquest
Read the information provided & follow the links to answer the questions on your own paper.
Worries about human population growth are not new phenomena. A little over 200 years ago, Thomas
Malthus published An Essay on the Principle of Population. He identified the fact that the human
population expansion was outpacing the production of food.
In 1804 the human population of Earth reached 1 billion, it topped 2 billion by 1927, 3 billion by
1959, 4 billion in 1972 & 5 billion by the late 1980s. On October 12, 1999, the human population of Earth
reached 6 billion.
Prior to 1950, the death rate was high, which kept the numbers of humans from increasing rapidly.
In the 19th Century, the agricultural revolution increased food production and the industrial revolution
improved methods of transporting food and other goods. The 20th Century produced advances in medicine,
sanitation, and nutrition.
Follow this link: http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html
1. What is the exact time right now?
2. What is the U.S. population right now?
Follow this link: http://www.demographia.com/db-2000stater.htm
3. Where is Missouri ranked among state populations?
4. What percent of people in the U.S. live in Missouri?
Follow this link: http://desip.igc.org/mapanim.html
5. Watch the simulation. Where in the world did the human population appear to start?
6. What was the world population in 1985?
7. What is the expected world population in 2020?
Most countries are trying to reduce their growth rate. Zero population growth means that as many people
are being born as they are dying. To achieve zero population growth, each couple would need to have no
more than 2 children (to replace the parents). Even if this number is achieved, the population will continue
to grow because the parents will still live on for decades, as their children have children, and their children
have children…
The rate of growth in developed nations has become more constant in recent years, while many
developing nations are still growing exponentially.
NAME: ________________________________ BLOCK: ___________ DATE: ______________
Follow this link for a list of least developed countries:
http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/least_developed_countries.htm
8. Select any 2 countries from the list & find the following data:
Country 1:
a. Population
b. Surface Area
c. Population Density
Country 2:
Population
Surface Area
Population Density
Use the following links to find the answers to 9a, b, & c.
http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_the_United_States
http://geography.about.com/od/populationgeography/a/popdensity.htm
9. Record the following data for the U.S.
a. Population
b. Surface Area
c. Population Density
Follow this link: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/interactive/2011/oct/24/how-big-worldspopulation-born
1. What is your exact birth date?
2. Which country had the fastest growth during your birth year? What percent?
3. What about the comparison countries and their percents?
4. Which county had the slowest growth rate? What percent?
NAME: ________________________________ BLOCK: ___________ DATE: ______________
Follow this link: http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html
5. What is the exact time right now?
6. How many minutes have elapsed since you answered question #2?
7. What is the U.S. population right now?
8. What was the gain in U.S. population while you have been working on this activity?
9. What was the gain in population per minute over this activity? Show your work. Take the number
that the population grew divided by the number of minutes that have passed.
10. What was the population gain per second over this activity? Show your work. Take the answer
from above and divide by 60 seconds to get people/second.
11. How does this compare with the stated gain per second on the census web site?