It's About Time
Factors Affecting Population Size
How do we predict future population growth? Young researchers investigate various factors affecting the size of our population. As they calculate and interpret graphs to determine factors that could potentially affect increases and...
Curated OER
Changing Planet: Adaptation of Species (Birds and Butterflies)
A video about the impact of climate change on butterfly populations and a PowerPoint about butterfly and bird adaptations warm science learners up for the activity to follow. Using a variety of tools that reprsent unique styles of bird...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Population Dynamics
Will human population growth always be exponential, or will we find a limiting factor we can't avoid? Young scientists learn about both exponential and logistic growth models in various animal populations. They use case studies to...
PBS
Population Simulation with M&M's
Math and M&Ms® go great together when introducing a modeling activity. Allow your learners to simulate population growth and decay of fish in a pond and share their reasoning for the change in fish. With such an impact we have on our...
Serendip
Understanding and Predicting Changes in Population Size – Exponential and Logistic Population Growth Models vs. Complex Reality
Salmonella poisoning impacts over 200,000 people in the United States each year. Scholars learn about the growth of these bacteria using multiple approaches. Then they apply the same growth calculations to endangered species and think...
National Wildlife Federation
Quantifying Land Changes Over Time in Areas of Deforestation and Urbanization
Is qualitative or quantitative research more convincing when it comes to climate change? In the eighth lesson during this 21-part series, scholars begin by performing a quantitative analysis of deforestation and urbanization. Then, they...
LABScI
Population Dynamics: The Predator-Prey Lab
Wolves eat better when the bunny population increases, but how long does that last? A series of 12 biology lessons uses the sixth installment to explore the predator-prey relationship between bunny and wolf populations. Young scientists...
Curated OER
A look at our larger population
Student team together to tell the story of the U.S.'s rapid population growth. High schoolers research census changes, focusing on changes in the size of the community and the school. Students tell the story by writing articles and...
Curated OER
Bacteria Populations
Your young microbiologists will interpret and solve exponential equations in this real-world context task set in a hospital research scenario. Learners think in terms of the functions as well as their rates of change.
Curated OER
Calculating Population Growth for a Region
Students research population growth of regions of Canada. In this Social Studies lesson, students use included links on the Internet to find information about population growth in areas of Canada. A worksheet for each region is included....
Curated OER
Climate Change Challenge
Students participate in a demonstration in which they role-play polar bears and habitat components to demonstrate the impacts of climate change on the Arctic Ocean ecosystem.
Curated OER
The Human Population
In this human population learning exercise, students are given data about the size of the human population from the 1800s to 1999. They plot the data and answer critical thinking questions about the changes in human population.
Global Oneness Project
Communities on the Threshold of Change
Viewers of the short documentary Santa Cruz Del Islote consider how changes in climate and overfishing impact the life style of the 1,200 residents of a small island off the coast of Cartagena, Columbia.
Curated OER
Population Dynamics
Young scholars investigate the causes and consequences of population growth and the envrionmental factors that contribute to it. They discuss what they think the world's population will be in 2050.
Curated OER
Human Populations Studies: the Ghost of Populations Past
Students compile data on population distribution and develop survivorship curves using information from cemetery tombstones and obituaries. They develop inferences on the changes in population age distribution in their area over time.
Curated OER
Some Similarities Between the Spread of an Infectious Disease and Population Growth
Students compare and contrast the spread of infectious diseases and population growth. In this biology lesson, students identify the exponential growth pattern of spreading diseases. They relate this to HIV infection and AIDS.
Curated OER
Population Change in Vermont, 1990-2000
Students improve their mapping skills and knowledge about population distribution and change in Vermont at the county level. They are divided into groups of two or four. Each group is given two county base maps and the population...
Curated OER
Population Growth and Urban Planning
Students discuss the following terms and their definitions: zero population growth, population density, demographics, urban sprawl, census, immigration, migration, infrastructure, population booms, megacities, birthrate, death rate,...
Curated OER
Population Density
Students use the scientific method to conduct an experiment and use varied methods to gather background information. They correctly use lab equipment and prepare tables and graphs that organize, conclude, and present their findings. ...
Curated OER
The Dynamics of Populations
Tenth graders analyze the growth rate of different population. For this biology experiment, 10th graders identify the biotic and abiotic factors that limit population size. They create a poster to show their findings in class.
Curated OER
Map Literacy
Students locate their home state on a map. They differentiate between physical and population sizes of states. In two groups, students "become" states with string for boundaries. They ascertain that area does not always equal large...
Curated OER
Population Ecology
Here are some ideas to help students understand population growth in ecosystems.
Population Connection
Meeting Human Needs
How to meet the needs of people around the globe—a question many ask. The fifth in a six-part series about human population and its effects on the globe, the eye-opening lesson includes discussion, a homework activity, and an in-class...
Population Connection
Where Do We Grow from Here?
Did you know that the population is expected to grow to 11 billion by 2100? The resource serves final installment in a six-part series on the global population and its effects. Scholars interpret data from the United Nations about the...