Ages (Pages 12-13)
KS2/KS3
- Investigate how the ages and sex of the population of a country can be shown on a graph called a population pyramid. First go to the following website: www.census.gov/ipc/www/idbpyr.html, select the countries you wish to investigate and print out the different population pyramids, which pupils can compare (e.g. the UK and India).
KS3
- Put the pupils into small groups and give them five minutes to brainstorm reasons why the distribution of population differs (e.g. health, environmental factors, civil war etc.). As a class, share these ideas. As a more complex extension activity, pupils could consider how the population of a country might change over time. What might some of the issues be (medical care, housing, pensions) if people live a lot longer?
KS3
- Use an atlas, or a website such as the CIA World Fact Book, www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook (go to ‘search the World Fact Book’ and then type in ‘life expectancy’ to get a complete alphabetical listing); to find the countries with the longest life expectancy and the shortest life expectancy. Discuss some of the reasons why life expectancy might be high and what could be done to help those in countries with the shortest life expectancy
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