Lesson

Title/Focus

Populations Growth & Decline

Subject/Gra
de Level

Science 14

Unit

Unit D: Investigating Matter and Energy in the

Environment

Date
Time
Duratio
n
Teache
r

September 14, 2015

63 Minutes
Mr. Geoff Waugh

OUTCOMES FROM ALBERTA PROGRAM OF STUDIES

General
Learning
Outcomes:
Specific
Learning
Outcomes:

Students will:
1. Analyze a local ecosystem in terms of its biotic and abiotic components, and
describe factors of the equilibrium
Students will:
1. Explain how various factors influence the size of populations; i.e.,
immigration and emigration, birth and death rates, food supply, predation,
disease, reproductive rate, number of offspring produced, and climate
change

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will:
1. Analyze and investigate factors that influence populations and use this knowledge to
complete population studies of their own

LEARNING RESOURCES CONSULTED

Alberta Education: Science (14) Program of

Studies
Science Connect 1 Student Textbook

Science Connect 1 Teachers Resource Program

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

Informative PowerPoint
Computer w/ access to projector
Population Exercises
Textbook

PROCEDURE
Prior to lesson:

Attention Grabber:
Advance
Organizer/Agenda:

Transition to Body:
Learning Activity
#1:

Learning Activity
#2:

Teacher Notes:

Learning Activity
#3:

1. Ensure the technology to be used in the lesson is set up and

working
2. Ensure all resources are available for class to begin
Introduction
Let students know the quiz will be on Thursday now, to offer
more time to study and ask questions during I2 time
Quick discussion about the quiz

What is a population class question

Interesting stats of populations
Discussion of populations & work period

Discussion of population growth and decline factors &

work period
What is a population?
Body
Interesting Stats of Populations:
Go over a variety of interesting stats about country
size, population distribution, current population of the
world, etc
Discussion of Populations & Work Period:
Definition of population with a few examples and
understanding three factors
Worksheet based off of pages 256 257 in textbook

5 Minutes
Time
10
Minutes

20
Minutes

Key Questions: What is a population? How do we

know its size? What are the factors responsible for
identifying a population?
Products/Performances: Population change
worksheet (formative)
Discussion of Population Growth & Decline Factors &
Work Period:
Four factors determine population size

Teacher Notes:

Time

Individually discuss death and birth rate, emigration

and immigration with examples
Recap and summarize

25
Minutes

Go over different curves of population growth

Graphing populations worksheet
Key Questions: What are birth and death rate? What
are immigration and emigration? How do these factors
affect population sizes? What kinds of population
curves are there? How are these representative of

Sponge
Activity/Activities:

Reflections from
the lesson:

Review questions for previous worksheets

Students were the most interactive Ive ever had them so far
during the introductory samples of populations, everyone wanted
to guess which country had the largest population, where Canada
ranked, and how many people there are in the world need more
of this technology for class!
Chunking the class into small sections worked well today, students
were never overwhelmed with material, and had a good amount of
time to work on their projects
Tough balance sometimes to provide enough material for students
on the higher academic end of the spectrum in this class while
those a little lower are definitely being challenged
Fun morning, being able to see the relationship with the class build