Published by Australian Academy of Science
Activities | Population and environment – what's the connection?

1. Demographic data calculations

2. How many babies are born?

3. Aspects of population growth

Other activities

• Australian Bureau of Statistics
  • Census profile activities – population trends – five lessons in which students retrieve and analyse population data from the 2001 Australian Census and look for trends in population in states and territories. Lessons are available as PDF files.
  • Population estimates and projections – students learn about the mathematical processes involved in estimating the size of the Australian population based on census results.

• Environmental Protection Agency, Victoria (Australia)
  • Ecological footprint – students survey different environments and use the eco-footprint calculators for households, offices and schools. The on-line calculators use Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.

• Science upd8 (UK)
  You will need to register to access activities but they are free.
  • Carbon control – students get to calculate their carbon footprints and discuss ways to make their footprints smaller.

• Columbia University (USA)
  • The tragedy of the commons – introduces students to the concept of the tragedy of the commons and helps them understand how we as a society can put a stop to this tragedy.

• University of Arizona (USA)
  • Great gravidity – students use their knowledge of population ecology to think about the impact of the human population on the Earth's ecosystem.

• Actionbioscience.org (USA)
  • Our population and its impact on the planet – contains numerous ideas for class discussion and extension projects based on an article covering the consequences of a rising population on quality of life. The lesson is based on the article Population and the environment: The global challenge.

• Population Reference Bureau (USA)
  • Adventures on Earth – classroom guide of interactive lessons designed to educate students about how people use the environment, the consequences of meeting human needs and the environmental impact of human actions and choices.
  • Human population – fundamentals of growth: Environmental relationships – students look at the relationship between human population and the environment. Teacher's guide is available.

• Educator's Reference Desk (USA)
  • Landscape modifications: Designing man's vision of a global environment – students study local, state, national, and global examples of landscape modification to understand the effects of the changes.

• Population Connection (USA)
  • Food for thought – explores population demographics, land use patterns, energy consumption and distribution of wealth at the global level.
  • Earth: The apple of our eye – demonstrates the limited sources of food available from land and water. Includes discussion questions and suggestions for action.

• Nova (USA)
  • World in the balance – students calculate how long it takes a country's population to double in size and investigate factors affecting population growth rate.

• Science NetLinks (American Association for the Advancement of Science)
  • Population dynamics – students investigate the causes and consequences of population growth and the environmental factors that contribute to it.