Chip Flemmer’s
Spreadsheet Supported Lesson
Spreadsheet Lesson Plan
View the US Population Spreadsheet Activity
Sixth Grade Social Studies
Topic: We will be using a spreadsheet in my sixth grade social studies class to help us analyze population trends in the United States. From the information we will also look for any anomalies as well predict what state populations might be in the future.
Name: Chip Flemmer
Lesson Title: United States Population Trends: 1800-2000
Introduction: We will be creating a spreadsheet of the state populations over the past 200 years. The goal of this lesson is for my students to take a look at how state populations have grown over the past 200 years. The populations that are going to be evaluated are the 1800, 1850, 1900, 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, and 2000 census figures. Within the spreadsheet we also have a feature which shows the growth percentage rankings of states for the time periods of 1800-1850, 1850-1900, 1900-1950, and 1950-2000. Students will take the population percentage change information from a particular time period and chart how the various regions compare in population growth. Students will also need to identify any trends that they notices as well as try to describe any anomalies in the information. Ultimately, the goal is the students to be able to hypothesize future trends in population based on the evidence they have evaluated in our spreadsheet.
Grade or Age Level of Student(s): 6th grade
Objectives:
- Students will be able to create a spreadsheet using state populations as our topic.
- Students will be able to analyze the spreadsheet information to support a prediction of future trends.
Standards Addressed:
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) World Geography.
The student is expected to:
- The student understands the growth, distribution, movement, and characteristics of world population.
- (A) construct and analyze population pyramids and use other data, graphics, and maps to describe the population characteristics of different societies and to predict future growth trends;
- (B) explain the political, economic, social, and environmental factors that contribute to human migration such as how national and international migrations are shaped by push-and-pull factors and how physical geography affects the routes, flows, and destinations of migration;
- (C) describe trends in past world population growth and distribution; and
- (D) develop and defend hypotheses on likely population patterns for the future.
Timeline: 1-2 class periods.
Materials: Almanac or reference book with state populations over the past 250 years. The computer lab with the Excel program will be used.
Grouping Strategies: We will use the computer lab so each student will have access to their own computer. Students will be allowed to collectively discuss the information from the spreadsheet and brainstorm to answer the related questions.
Learning Activities: Create a spreadsheet of state populations from census reports. I have a finished product, but what I would hand to the students would be a partially completed spreadsheet and they would need to research and complete the information table. From the completed table the students will analyze the information and answer the following questions:
- What population trend do you notice from 1800-1850?
- Based on historical knowledge of this time period, what do you believe accounted for the high population growth in some areas while other areas did not experience the same surge?
- Were there any anomalies (deviation or abnormality) in this data? If so, explain.
- What population trend do you notice from 1850-1900?
- Based on historical knowledge of this time period, what do you believe accounted for the high population growth in some areas while other areas did not experience the same surge?
- Were there any anomalies (deviation or abnormality) in this data? If so, explain.
- What population trend do you notice from 1900-1950?
- Based on historical knowledge of this time period, what do you believe accounted for the high population growth in some areas while other areas did not experience the same surge?
- Were there any anomalies (deviation or abnormality) in this data? If so, explain.
- What population trend do you notice from 1950-2000?
- Based on historical knowledge of this time period, what do you believe accounted for the high population growth in some areas while other areas did not experience the same surge?
- Were there any anomalies (deviation or abnormality) in this data? If so, explain.
- Based on all the information you have analyzed what would you predict about future population trends? What regions of our country do you predict will experience the greatest gains in growth? Why? What regions do you feel will experience the least gains or losses in population? Why?
Assessment: I will assess the student’s answers to the above questions and use that information as my assessment for the lesson. I believe that I can derive enough information as to whether the students learned something of value from this lesson as well as if we met our objectives.
References: http://www.census.gov/schools/facts/