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UK cities and population distribution
I can locate major cities of the UK and describe and explain the UK's uneven population distribution.
Lesson 1 of 4
New
New
- Year 10
- AQA
UK cities and population distribution
I can locate major cities of the UK and describe and explain the UK's uneven population distribution.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- There are 76 cities in the UK and the majority of these are in England.
- Population is unevenly distributed in the UK.
- Population density varies between the countries of the UK and areas within them.
- Human and physical factors can explain the differences in population distribution.
Keywords
Population distribution - the pattern of where people do and do not live
Population density - the average number of people that live within a square kilometre
Common misconception
Pupils can mix up population distribution and population density.
Population density is a spatial pattern of population whereas population density is the ratio of people to a defined space.
Pupils are likely to have some prior knowledge about the location of UK cities but using an atlas for Task A would scaffold it for those needing additional support.
Teacher tip
Equipment
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is this a map of?
What is this a map of?
Great Britain
British Isles
Q2.What type of map is this?
What type of map is this?
Political
Choropleth
Q3.Match the country of the United Kingdom to its capital.
Match the country of the United Kingdom to its capital.
Q4.In 2024, to the nearest million, what was the population of the UK?
In 2024, to the nearest million, what was the population of the UK?
67 million
68 million
70 million
Q5.What is the purpose of a census?
What is the purpose of a census?
To count the number of people in a country for tax collection purposes.
To track individual citizens for security and surveillance.
To determine the number of votes each person can cast in an election.
Q6.How often is the UK census taken?
How often is the UK census taken?
every year
every five years
Q1 chrupka/Shutterstock.com
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.How many cities are there in the UK?
How many cities are there in the UK?
Q2.Match the country of the UK to its population.
Match the country of the UK to its population.
Q3.Population density is defined as the number of people that live within a square .
Population density is defined as the number of people that live within a square .
Q4.The distribution of the UK is uneven.
The distribution of the UK is uneven.
Q5.Match the country of the UK to its population density.
Match the country of the UK to its population density.
Q6.Human and __________ factors help to explain the population distribution of the UK.
Human and __________ factors help to explain the population distribution of the UK.
political
historical
social
