Population
What is Population?
Population, as defined by Oxford, is "all the inhabitants of a particular town, area, or country." As we think about population however, the simplified definition becomes very complex. What happens if there is too much of a population? How do populations structure themselves to achieve balance? How can we calculate the amount of a population we can support? Is there any evidence that a population problem like this has happened before?
Cross-Curriculum Teaching
Education tends to get a bad wrap for being repetitive and stale. One way to avoid that stereotypical teaching trap is by working in cross-curriculum groups to create a themed unit. This way, students are not simply spending 50 minutes in one mindset to then have to entirely switch again. Theming helps to reduce rapid switching and go in depth into a singular topic in many unique ways under each area of education.
Why Population?
Not only is population something that is topical in the age of climate change and globalization unlike anything within modern history, it is also the story of us. Having a unit that focuses on people versus more abstract concepts helps students to attach to the lessons and idea's embedded within the unit.
Thoughts and Ideas
Initially, we wanted to map out all of the potential possibilities of what could be covered with the main topic of Population. We managed to find a plethora of different routes we could take, but it also wasn't to wide of a topic where it would be hard to cross-connect. After flushing out the topic, none of our main education sections where stepping on the other, while we also maintained a good balance of being connected. From passing that hurdle, we began to develop our lessons.
Lesson Breakdown by Educational Area
By going through and clicking each of the sections below, you will be taken to a lesson plan as part of the cross-curriculum Population unit Anna Greenhalgh, Brittany Knox, Olivia Kirby, Johnathan DePauw, and myself made along with additional resources and links utilized within the lesson. Click the image or subject area title to be taken to the resource hub designed by each individual for their population lesson.
