Is human population growth threatening to overshoot and jeopardize the earth’s carrying capacity? If so, what can be done about it?
In this activity, students will be able to: describe and model human population growth during the past 600 years with an exponential function, considering both the total amount of growth and average and/or instantaneous rates of increase; explain the strengths and limitations of modeling human population growth with an exponential function; explore and discuss some of the environmental, cultural, and economic impacts of human population growth.
Recommended for: grades 9 and up
Time: 1-2 class periods or more
Common Core Standards for this activity (pdf):
Download Common Core for grades 9-12.
Find out how some of our other activities connect to Common Core Standards (pdf):
IHE activities for Common Core for grades K-2.
IHE activities for Common Core for grades 3-5.
IHE activities for Common Core for grades 6-8 for Language Arts, for Math, for Science, for Social Studies.
IHE activities for Common Core for grades 9-12 for Language Arts, for Math, for Science, for Social Studies.
