Population change in China
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe population growth in China and explain why population distribution is uneven across the country.
Key learning points
- The population of China is more than 1.4 billion; China is the second most populous country in the world.
- China’s population increased rapidly after the Second World War but its population is now declining.
- Falling birth rates and an ageing population are contributing to the decrease in China’s population.
- The population of China is unevenly distributed because of different physical and human factors.
Keywords
Population - the total number of people living in a particular area
Birth rate - the number of live births per 1000 people per year
Death rate - the number of deaths per 1000 people per year
Population density - the number of people living in a defined area, e.g. 300 people per km2
Population distribution - how people are spread out across a geographic area
Common misconception
Population density is the same everywhere in China.
Population density varies across China; urban areas such as Shanghai are densely populated, but rural areas, such as the mountainous regions covering much of western China, are sparsely populated.
Teacher tip
Use GIS to investigate how population density varies across China.
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is a population?
Q2.What is the capital city of China?
Q3.What is the main reason for population growth?
Q4.Which country has the largest population?
Q5.What is the most widely spoken language in China?
Q6.Which river is the longest in China?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.What is the current population of China?
Q2.What is population density?
Q3.Which part of China has the highest population density?
Q4.Why is Western China less populated than Eastern China?
To help you plan your 7 geography lesson on: Population change in China, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 geography lesson on: Population change in China, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 geography lessons from the China: a global superpower? unit, dive into the full secondary geography curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.