Mr. Gutierrez's Science Class - Home



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8.2 Predicting Population Growth

Key Concepts

Fertility rate helps demographers predict the rates at which populations will grow in the

future.

Age structure and sex ratios define a population’s potential for growth.

The demographic transition may explain the reason that some industrialized nations

have experienced a large drop in birthrates and death rates.

Social factors, such as wealth and education, affect a nation’s population growth and its

resource use.

Vocabulary Preview

Define each vocabulary term in your own words. Then, write yourself a quick note on

how you will remember each. One term has been done for you.

|Term |Definition |How I Remember |

|Total fertility | | |

|rate | | |

|Replacement |The total fertility rate for a nation that |I think of replacement fertility as the |

|fertility |would keep its population size stable |rate at which the number of people |

| | |born would replace the number of |

| | |people who died. |

|Demographic | | |

|transition | | |

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Reading Strategy

Before you read the lesson, fill in the first column of the KWL chart below with what

you already know about predicting human population growth. Fill in the second

column with what you want to know about this topic. After you have read the lesson,

fill in the third column with what you have learned.

|I Know |I Want to Know |I Learned |

| | | |

EXTENSION Use the Internet to research population growth rates in your state over the

last 30 years. Create a poster with information about your state’s recent trends in population

growth.

Fertility Rate

For Questions 1 and 2, circle the letter of the correct answer.

1. Fertility rates have started to decrease in many nations. How has this affected the size of

the human population throughout the world?

A. The population size is steady.

B. The population size is decreasing.

C. The population size is still increasing.

D. Fertility rates are not related to population size.

2. What type of fertility rate would keep a nation’s population stable?

A. total fertility

B. natural fertility

C. doubling fertility

D. replacement fertility

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3. How do fertility rates compare to overall population rates of the world?

Age Structure and Sex Ratios

4. How is information on age structure and sex ratios useful to demographers?

5. Most people in population A are pre-reproductive age. In population B, most people

are post-reproductive age. Which population will likely experience a greater population

growth rate over the next few decades? Explain.

6. How might human activities skew sex ratios?

The Demographic Transition

7. Fill in the flowchart with the names and brief descriptions of

what happens to population growth in each stage of the demographic transition.

[pic]

8. During which stage of the demographic transition do population growth rates increase?

9. In which stage of the demographic transition is the United States today?

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Social Factors

10. Complete the following paragraph with terms from the word bank.

The fertility rates, infant mortality rates, and death rates of developing nations

are than those of developed nations, while life expectancy is

Still, developing nations tend to have

populations, while the populations of developed nations stay relatively constant. Fertility rates

are strongly connected to education. When women have educational opportunities and are

able to decide whether and when to have children, fertility rates often .

11. Provide at least three examples of national policies that can influence population size.

Answer the questions to test your knowledge of lesson concepts. You can check your

work using the answers on the bottom of the page.

12. Name at least three reasons that, historically, total fertility rates were once higher

worldwide.

13. What does age structure show? Why is this information helpful to a demographer?

14. What are two social factors that affect population growth?

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decline growing higher lower

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