Population+characteristics


 * __**Starter:**__ Show a photograph of a large crowd of people. Get students to discuss what characteristics differentiate them (height, ethnic group, age, sex, etc). ||
 * __**Teaching points:**__


 * Look at census maps of Houston- answer census questions using information
 * Go through the range of population characteristics – age, gender, ethnicity, religion and occupation. Note the advice in //ResultsPlus, Exam Tip//.
 * Make the point that the purpose of most censuses is not just to count numbers, but also to analyse populations in terms of these characteristics.
 * A succession of censuses asking the same questions about a population allows important changes within a population to be identified.
 * Complete activities to describe the distribution of different population characteristics in Houston
 * The //table// shows some dimensions of change in the structure of the UK’s population during the last inter-censal period.
 * Use the information to answer //Skills Builder 3//.
 * The spatial focus is narrowed on page 215 to the city of Southampton. This case study illustrates the detail that can be obtained from the census about population characteristics. Read through the //Quick notes//.
 * Particularly interesting is the information about ethnicity (//Figure 15//) and religion (//Figure 16//). Work through //Extension activity 2,// //Q4//.
 * Another valuable dimension of census data is being able to compare particular areas (cities, counties, etc.) against national and regional averages (//Figure 14//).

__**Resources**__

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Task 1:

[|Guardian: Census-takers prepare to map India's millions]

Read the above article and....
 * 1) Underline / Highlight in one colour: problems of carrying out the census.
 * 2) Underline / Highlight in another colour: population problems / situation in India.
 * 3) Underline / Highlight in another colour: How they are collecting the census in India.

Task 2:

1) You have been assigned the task of collecting census data about your class and processing the results. Your local authority needs this information in order to compare the population structure of your class with that of a class in a neighbouring school. You need to gather information on the following characteristics of members of your class: age (years and months), gender, religion, ethnicity, number of people living in their home, means of travel to school. (a) Devise a simple census form to gather the information about each member of your class. It should be A4, produced using ICT skills, with tick boxes for the answers. Think carefully about the wording of each question. (b) In small groups, look at each other’s forms and decide on the best one. Then, as a class, look at these group choices and choose the one to be used in the census. (c) Each member of your class needs to complete the census form and the tallied results should be copied by everyone. (d) Graph the results to illustrate the characteristics of your class. Try and include a range of techniques – bar graphs, pie charts and divided bar charts. (e) Of what use would the findings of this census be to: • the local authority? • the head teacher?

__Census maps of Houston__ ||
 * __**Plenary:**__ Get students to use own knowledge to identify areas in UK with particular ethnic communities, elderly populations, primary and secondary economic employments. ||
 * __**Homework**__: Collect census data about your class and process the results for //Extension activity 2, Q1//. ||
 * __**Skills**__: Geographical enquiry, basic, ICT, graphical. ||
 * __**Key terms:**__ Ethnicity. ||