Thurs 10-11: people are everywhere

Greetings, O most talented and amazing ones!

Today, we are going to learn some important terms related to the study of population. Prior to now, we have been looking exclsuively at the movement of population inside America, but now we will begin going worldwide.

It occurred to me that, rather than simply presenting notes for you to type up, I would have you perform a sort of "scavenger hunt" through a presentation I have in my possession

The presentation can be found HERE

and these questions go with this presentation. So to start with today, each of you, INDIVIDUALLY, will answer these questions in a simple text document, then copy and paste that text document into the body of an email. In the subject line, put your name, plus the phrase "people are everywhere"

Remember, even if you are not completely finished with this by the end of class today, you need to send what you have actually got accomplished. The rest you will need to do for homework between now and the next time this class meets, which I believe is next Monday

PS -- Some of you still need to finish up previous assignments and then hand them in. Please do so as expeditiously as possible. Make sure that assignments are INSIDE your blue folder on Box.com, and that the names of all involved are clearly noted

In any event, here are the questions:

What is "Ecumene" ?

Define the following terms -->
Population Density
Arithmetic Density
Physiological density
Agricultural density

Define Crude Birth Rate & Crude Death Rate
Natural Increase Rate --> how do you calculate the NIR?

There is a slide that includes a graph showing the NIR between 1950 and 2010
Has this rate increased or decreased? What effect has this had on world population?

According to the graph on slide 30 in what year did ther world's population start increasing much more quickly than it had in the past? Why do you say this is so


Define Total Fertility Rate

How do you calculate the Infant Mortality Rate?

What is life expectancy?

There is a slide which includes a "population pyramid"
 for the nation of Sudan. Please list all the different kinds of information you can glean from this "pyramid"

 Using this information, what could you tell about a pyramid that is really wide at its base (bottom)? What can you tell about a pyramid that is really tall? Really short?


 There is a really long and incredibly tedious explanation for what is meant by "demographic transition model". Tell me, in your own words, what the heck this sort of model is saying.

 This model also includes four basic stages of population growth: one that has low growth, then high growth, then moderate growth, then back to low growth

 They also include a fifth stage. What is this stage all about, what part of the world does it apply to, and what do you think will happen to this region of the world as a result?


 What did Thomas Malthus have to say about population growth?

 Have his predictions come true?

 What do his supporters and critics believe happened to effect Malthus' theory?

 Where do you stand? Are you a supporter or a critic?

 How have food production and disease affected population growth at the four basic stages listed in the demographic transition model above?

 Random thought: do you believe the current fascination with zombie movies in America is because we might be entering the (possible) fifth stage?

 What is the largest epidemic disease of modern times?

 Based on the three definitions provided about migration, assign a definition to each of the migration examples on slide 73

 Some migrations are voluntary while others are forced. There is a slide that lists examples of forced migration.

Please list examples of forced migration that are NOT listed here.  (Hint: any time there is a war, you've got forced migration. Ditto for a mass tyranny, like Germany under Hitler, or China or Russia under the Communists)

According to Ravenstein's Laws of Voluntary migration, who is more likely to move from this country to another country: one of the students here, or one of the teachers? Why do you say so?

Go ten years into the future for the above question: now what do you think the result might be? Why do you say so?

What are some characteristics of long distance migrants? What kind of people are they more likely to be?
Why do you suppose that this is the case? Have at least one (complete sentence) reason for each characteristic


What area of the world are people most likely to emigrate to?
What might cause this to change? Use your imagination, and think the unthinkable

"Internal migration" refers to migration from one part of a country to another
What region of America has had the most internal migration?

Why do you suppose this is so?