The U.S. Census is a geography teacher's toolbox. As a member of the Statistics in Schools (SIS) development team, Chris Bunin was tasked with exploring existing resources to develop lesson plans. Census.gov is a dynamic online reservoir filled with infographics and visualizations, articles and reports, and best practice instructional materials.…

In a world with an ever-increasing population, diminishing natural resources, and greater levels of consumption, sustainability has emerged as a critical concept and it encompasses everything from international policy to lifestyle changes to "green" technologies. While various aspects of sustainability have been adopted by schools and…

Introduces the Global Positioning System (GPS) and explains its use in the science classroom. (YDS)

Presents an activity designed to help secondary students understand how population density affects their own community. Contains background information on the population issue and detailed procedures for the activity. (DDR)

A description of the geographic planning and operation of the 1990 U.S. Census presented in cartoon form, this booklet carries the user through the stages of the development of the materials needed for census field enumeration activities. Maps were drawn for address reference files, and geographic reference files were created. These cartoons…

Explains the capture-recapture method which is used to estimate population size by researchers. Uses a computer simulation game to teach students the capture-recapture method of population size estimation. (Contains 24 references.) (Author/YDS)

This document contains reproducible black and white materials for teaching about the 1990 United States census. There are maps, charts, and graphs of population projections by region; historical census data; projections of populations changes; world population; minority population figures; age charts; number of dependents; housing units;…

Population issues are interconnected to many of the most pressing concerns of today, nine of which are addressed on the front of the wallchart included in this guide. The activities in this guide allow students to explore these topics in order to better understand the significance of our current demographic milestone for society and the…

The relationship between world hunger and world population is explored in this document for high school global education classes. Reasons for the high birth rates in developing nations are suggested, e.g., a poor family has many children because children are an inexpensive work force, provide extra income, and care for parents in old age. The…

Several questions related to population and the use of resources are posed and discussed, with suggestions on how they might be used with students. (MNS)

Presents a geography lesson on China to be used to help students understand contemporary and historical China. Suggests that China's population may be the most important factor shaping Chinese culture today. Includes teaching strategies and a student handout to provide an understanding of culture through the geographical concepts of place and…

The document contains two components--a population reference newsletter focusing on census-related information and a module to help high school and college students understand census objectives, procedures, and uses. The newsletter presents general background on the census, offers annotations of census materials from the Population Reference…

Presents three lessons which demonstrate to junior high students in geography courses that knowledge of "where things are happening" is essential to an understanding of global issues. Students use the basic tools of geography to examine population distribution, world resources, and the water crisis. (RM)

Describes a college class project in geographical survey research comparing the population characteristics in North and South New Jersey. Students made up their own questionnaires and decided on sampling procedures. Surveys revealed facts about population numbers, historical boundaries, employment, and residents' perceptions of regional…

This teaching guide contains 20 activities on population growth for students in grades 6-12. The purpose is to help students gain the skills, knowledge, and understanding of population dynamics so that they can make rational decisions and take responsible action regarding population matters and public policy. Activities are organized around the…