GIS Lesson – Reading

Salli Pence May 2009

After teaching the story “China Demographic Crisis: Too Many Boys, Elderly” by Louisa Lim
(http://www.npr.org)

As a friendly reminder, I teach reading (Second Chance Reading) with essentially little or no flexibility of going
outside my mandated curriculum. The lesson plan I am providing just tells the details of what I will show my
students from my laptop and proxima and the ARC map software. I have not yet printed out any maps – I need to go
back and redo this again so I feel more comfortable with the software before using it with my students. I will do the
ARC map live but have the finished maps saved so in case I had Internet difficulties I would still have colored maps
to show the students.

Open ARC map – module 4 region 4.mxd. This will open a world map. Open Population
Growth and then turn on layers countries and birth. Countries and Ocean are already on.

Showing the global view, have students discuss and evaluate which world region(s) have the
highest birth rates? Lowest birth rates? How is China in comparison to the rest of the world?
Why does it not look too alarming, yet their government is very concerned?

Turn off birth rates and look at death rates. Have students discuss and evaluate which world
regions have the highest death rates? Lowest death rates? Where/how does China compare?
Why do you think that is?

Turn off death rate and birth rate. Using the identify tool (i) (click on it and then choose identify
from birth rate. Take cursor and click on the country of China.)
Birth rate information of China:
Population 2007 - 1,321,851,888
Population 2015 - 1,393,417,233
Population 2025 - 1,453,123,817
CBR2007 - 13.45 per 1000 (CBR = Crude Birth Rate)
CDR2007 - 7.00 per 1000 (CDR = Crude Death Rate)

Close Identify window.

Next, Add the Natural Increase layer (add layer) (OurWorld2\Mod4\Data\LayerFiles. Select
Natural Increase.1yr and click Add).

The natural increase layer is per 1,000, like birth and death rates. So for China: add between 1
and 9 people to its population for each year for every 1000 that are already there. Which
countries have the largest increases? How is China in comparison to them? How does the map
look different than what you might have expected after hearing our story about China?

Close population growth folder (click on the minus sign).

Next, look at the Standard of Living Indicators.
- Click on Standards of Living Indicators (+ sign)
- Right click on Standards of Living name and click Activate

In Standards of Living Indicators:

- View Population 65 years or older (China 7.36-11.18%)
- View GDP Per Capita in US Dollars (China $6,400.00 - $16,000.00)
- Life Expectancy (China 67.89 – 75.34 years)
- Literacy (China 84.01 – 94.10%)
How does this information help us to better understand China and it’s people?

Add layer – “Net Migration” view map –

What effect does migration have on China? Why isn’t it affecting China? Why aren’t people
migrating there? Even though migration is not an issue for the country of China, it continues to
struggle with too many boys and elderly in its population.

What suggestions do you have for China to prevent further problems in their country in regards
to too many boys and elderly?

Things I could not figure out yet (remember) that I would like to include in my discussion with
students:
1. Population throughout China using graduated symbols (like circles). Discuss where the
highest populations are located within China and why is that?
2. Compare male vs. females in China (using 2 different colored symbols)
3. Find out the total populations for the larger cities in China.
4. Discover where the majority of the elderly are located within China (graduated sized
symbols).

Overall, this GIS lesson is simply to complement the story that I am already doing with my
students.