The population of the US increased 300 percent in the 20th century, but the use of raw materials increased by 1,700 percent. Explore human population growth over time with a video that examines the history of why such growth has occurred and what that means for the future. 

Concepts

human population, overpopulation, exponential growth

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Have learners explore human population growth and carrying capacity to predict the future of the human population
• Read Tragedy of the Commons as a class and discuss

Classroom Considerations

• Comments on YouTube may not be appropriate for school; be careful when projecting the video
• Narrator uses some colorful language

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• Uses high-quality graphics and images
• Can use closed captioning to keep up with the speed of the narrator
• Engaging topic and information

Cons

• None

Common Core

RST.9-10.2