Power of the Pyramids

Student Activity
Method:
Students construct and interpret population pyramids and discuss differences in
population growth rates among several different countries.

Introduction: Concept:
To help them make population projections for different countries, demographers The age and gender distribution of
(who study population) look at the profile of the countries’ residents. What are the ages a regional or national population
of the people? How many are men? How many are women? Taking this information, affects its growth rate and provides
they construct population pyramids like the ones students will create in this activity. information on its past, present,
These graphs depict the configuration of a country’s population as impacted by 70 to 80 and future growth patterns.
years of economic, political, and natural events. These graphs can also help predict
future population trends. Objectives:
Students will be able to:
Procedure: • Calculate percentages using raw
1. Display the world population pyra- numbers for each age/gender group
mid and explain that this is a kind of in a given population.
graph used by demographers to study • Construct a population age/
gender distribution graph for one
the distribution of people across age
of six different countries.
and gender categories.
• Make correlations between the
2. Explain to the students that the shapes of the graphs and the
graph represents the entire world growth patterns of different
population sorted by age and gender, countries.
with the youngest at the bottom and
the oldest at the top. Each age level Subjects:
grouping is called a cohort. Mathematics, biology, social
studies, environmental science
3. Assign each student or group of
students one of the six countries, and
distribute graph paper and a copy of Skills:
the student worksheet for that country. Calculating, graphing, analyzing
and interpreting data
4. The figures on the worksheet
represent the population (in thousands) of each age group within each gender for each Materials:
particular country. In order to construct the country’s pyramid, students must first Copies of student worksheet
calculate the percentage of the population of each gender in each age group. Power of the Pyramids graph paper
Example: According to the worksheet, the United States’ total population in Colored pencils
was . The population of males ages was . Rulers
Calculators

Students should complete these calculations for each cohort. Key Terms: cohort,
demographers, population pyramid
5. Using graph paper, students can construct a population pyramid as in the example. A line
drawn down the middle of the graph separates the male and female populations. The percent-
ages of the population will be plotted along the X-axis with females to the right of the center
line, males to the left. The age groups will be running up the Y-axis with the youngest at the
bottom, oldest at the top. (See “World Population Pyramid” for an example.)
6. Have students graph the percentage data for their assigned country.
7. Have students hold up their finished graphs for all to see while going through the
follow-up questions in class.
population connection ©2016 Population Dynamics • Student Activity • Power of the Pyramids • page 1 of 4
Power of the Pyramids
Student Worksheet 1
F
China

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, International Database, www.census.gov

%
M
%
F
Mexico

%
M
%
United States

F
%
M
Group
Age

population connection ©2016 Population Dynamics • Student Worksheet 1 • Power of the Pyramids • page 1
Power of the Pyramids
Student Worksheet 2

%
F
France

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, International Database, www.census.gov

%
M
%
F
Nigeria

%
M
%
F
India

%
M
Group
Age

population connection ©2016 Population Dynamics • Student Worksheet 2 • Power of the Pyramids • page 1
Name: ____________________________ Date: _________________________

Power of the Pyramids Graph Paper

Country: ___________________

Male Female
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
75+ 75+
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
70-74 70-74
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
65-69 65-69
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
60-64 60-64
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
55-59 55-59
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
50-54 50-54
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
45-49 45-49
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
40-44 40-44
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
35-39 35-39
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
30-34 30-34
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
25-29 25-29
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
20-24 20-24
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
15-19 15-19
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
10-14 10-14
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
5-9 5-9
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
0-4 0-4
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Percentage of Population
population connection ©2016 Population Dynamics • Student Worksheet • Power of the Pyramids