Population density
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain why population density differs across the globe.
Key learning points
- Population is unevenly spread across the world.
- Human and physical factors can affect population density.
- A sparse population means that an area has few people relative to its size; rural areas have sparse populations.
- A dense population means that an area has a large amount of people relative to its size; cities are densely populated.
Keywords
Population density - the number of people living in a defined area, e.g. 300 people per square kilometre
Sparse population - an area with relatively few people living in it
Dense population - an area with a high number of people living in it
Distribution - how people are spread out across a geographic area
Common misconception
Population density is the same everywhere.
This misconception arises because students may not realise that geographical factors vary widely. Address this by comparing different regions.
Teacher tip
Get pupils to move around the classroom to demonstrate densely and sparsely populated areas.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is a rural area?
Q2.What is an urban area?
Q3.The number of people living in a defined area is know as ...
Q4.A place like a city which has many people living in it, is said to be ...
Q5.How people are spread out in a geographical area is known as ...
Q6.The , e.g. temperature and rainfall, can affect the population of an area.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is population density?
Q2.What does it mean when an area is sparsely populated?
Q3.Which of these statements are correct?
Q4.Which of these is a human factor affecting population density?
Q5.Why do cities have dense populations?
Q6.Which region is most likely to have a sparse population?
To help you plan your 7 geography lesson on: Population density, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 geography lesson on: Population density, 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 Population: where do people live? unit, dive into the full secondary geography curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.