Fertility and Mortality

• Statement of inquiry
  • What are the components of global population change?
• Aims of the lesson
  • To examine the factors that impact birth and death rates.

Task One - What affected how many babies you will have?

Split a page of your exercise book (or a sheet of paper) into two to create two columns. Label one of the columns 'Factors that impact birth rates'. List as many factors as you can that would impact the number of babies that a female may have. Give an explanation to each factor.

Task Two - Reasons for a high birth rate

The Guardian - Birth rate highest since 1973 [21 May 2009]

Print the following news article: The Guardian - Birth rate highest since 1973 and find three different coloured highlighter pens/coloured pencils.

Read the article and check you have understood all the language. Then:

• In one colour: Highlight any birth rate figures.
• In another colour: Highlight any information related to age groups.
• In another colour: Highlight any reasons for the high birth rate.

Finally, write an answer to this question:

• "Women are having more children than at any time in the past 35 years, according to figures released today by the Office of National Statistics." What can a country do to encourage women to have more children?

Task Three - Reasons for a high death rate

BBC News - Death rates at lowest ever levels in England and Wales [22 July 2010]

Print the following news article: BBC News - Death rates at lowest ever levels in England and Wales and find three different coloured highlighter pens/coloured pencils.

Read the article and check you have understood all the language. Then:

• In one colour: Highlight any death rate figures.
• In another colour: Highlight any locations mentioned.
• In another colour: Highlight any reasons for the high death rate.

Finally, write an answer to this question:

• "Life expectancy is falling for a significant number of American women." What could the United States of America do to try and reverse the change?