Geographic Alliance of Iowa

1. Ask students if the US is a crowded country.  Ask them to defend their yes or no.  Is the US crowded compared to other countries?
2. Discuss population and over population problems today.
3. Ask students if they know anything about population and if they know of any place where it is overpopulated.
4. Explain the meaning of birth rate, death rate, and life expectancy.
5. Explain the meaning of population density and how it is figured.
6. Put 12 chairs in front of the room - this represents the land area of the United States which is 3,675,031 square miles.  Each chair equals 300,000 square miles.  Choose three people to sit on the chairs.  Each person equals 90,000,000 people.  This approximately represents the United States population of 267,954,767.  Point out that there is plenty of space between each person.
   Next remove 8 chairs.  This represents the land area of India which is 1,222,243 square miles.  Choose 11 people to sit on the 4 chairs.  This represents India’s population of 1,027,015,247.
   Discussion questions: Where do you think families would have larger house, in the US or India?
   Where do you think a child would most likely have their own room, US or India?
   How does population density affect the amount of privacy that people have in India?
7. Students receive a blank map of India and label the states.    
8. Students will color the states using the provided table of population densities and the coloring key.
9. Compare the population patterns with the landforms.
10. Compare the population patterns with climate maps (temperature and precipitation)
11. Compare the population patterns with resource maps
    Dense populations have access to mineral resources.
    Discuss why this affects settlement - Provides jobs/economy/GNP
    
12. Compare the population patterns with the growing of crops.
13. Compare the population patterns with access to water.
    First place settlers landed on their ships/ Movement of goods, people, and ideas/ Favorable climate/ Ability to grow crops
14. Discuss possible growth areas for the future.
15. Brainstorm problems that could occur due to overpopulation.
16. Brainstorm problems that overpopulation may have for the environment such as fresh water, growing crops.
17. What recommendations would you make to help India with its population problems?

1. Students write two paragraphs.  In the first, explain where there is a dense region in India and give at least two reasons why so many people live in that region.  In the second, explain where there is a sparse population in India and give at least two reasons shy so few people live in that region.
2. Compare India maps of annual precipitation and products.
3. Students reflect on the activity by answering the following questions:
   Ø      What did you learn by creating the population density map?
   Ø      Where did you discover that the high population density countries are located and why?
   Ø      Where did you discover that the low population density countries are located and why?
   Ø      In the future into what regions do you think India will expand and why?
4. Have students draw a picture that represents one overpopulation problem.  Include the effect that it has on the people living there.
5. Students create a cartogram.  States are shown in their relative location, but the size of the state represents the population density rather than the land area.

Population Density
(Per square km.)