Population Pyramids
High School
Tennessee Geographic Alliance One Day Geography Workshop
Instructor
Kristi Neuroth
Ravenwood High School
Brentwood, TN
Overview of Session
• 1. The power of data.
• 2. What is a population pyramid?
• 3. Variations of population pyramids.
• 4. What population pyramids tell us.
• 5. What population pyramids can be used for.
• 6. Lesson options.
• 7. Additional resources.
Tennessee Standards
• W.100 Using census data and population
pyramids, identify and describe the
demographic changes worldwide since 1980.
(C, E, G, H, P)
Connections to Common
Core Standards
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.7 Integrate
quantitative or technical analysis (e.g., charts,
research data) with qualitative analysis in print
or digital text.
THE POWER OF DATA
Data can be a powerful tool to help us understand
our world…
200 countries, 200 years
How can we represent powerful trends in World
History?
• One Powerful Tool: Population Pyramids
So, what is a Population Pyramid, anyway?
A TYPE OF GRAPH
THAT ILLUSTRATES
3 SPECIFIC PIECES
OF DEMOGRAPHIC
INFORMATION:
1. Age Group
(Cohort)
2. Gender
3. Percentage of
population
Variations
Population can be shown as a percent, or in actual numbers (as
demonstrated above).
Variations
What can population pyramids tell us?
•Life expectancy
•Old-age dependent or youth dependent?
•Level of development
•Historical patterns and projections for the
future
•Sex ratio
Population Pyramids
Population
Pyramids can
reveal the story of a
nation’s recent
history
Can you tell what country is
represented here and why it
looks the way it does?
They can illustrate events like the impact of AIDS
in Botswana
What can we tell about these countries from their
pyramids?
Population Pyramids can be used to…
1. help explain levels of development
Population Pyramids can help explain the
Demographic Transition Model
Assignment for US History and Geography/
World History and Geography
Please see the assignment titled “US and Foreign Population Pyramid
Analysis” which addresses the standard:
• “W.100 Using census data and population pyramids, identify and describe
the demographic changes worldwide since 1980. (C, E, G, H, P)“
Population pyramids can help teach math skills
An excellent lesson for this can be found at the Population Education website.
Population Education – “Power of the Pyramids”
lesson plan
For younger students you can provide
the answers, for older students you
can have them do the math on their
own
Students will then graph their answers on this
sheet
For more advanced classes…
• U.S. Census Bureau
• “America Fact Finder”
Great Resource:
Population Reference Bureau
Extension Activity or Exit Slip
• Assign each student a country with a unique population
pyramid (either a country like Afghanistan with an
exaggerate pyramid shape or Italy with a “top-heavy”
pyramid). Have the students brainstorm what types of
social and demographic challenges a leader would face
if they ruled that particular country. Then have students
pose potential solutions for the demographic challenges.
(This could be turned into a more extensive writing
assignment if desired).
Resource List:
• 1.
Wonderful teacher resources at Population Connection
• 2.
Population Pyramid lesson plan from Population Connection
• 3.
Website with population pyramids for all countries from 1950-2050
• 4.
National Geographic Expeditions lesson plan using population pyramids
• 5.
Light presentation for middle school teachers on population pyramids
• 6.
Population Reference Bureau YouTube Channel: Distilled Demographics
• 7.
Population Reference Bureau Population Pyramids Lesson Plan