UK cities and population distribution
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can locate major cities of the UK and describe and explain the UK's uneven population distribution.
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.
Teacher tip
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.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is this a map of?
Q2.What type of map is this?
Q3.Match the country of the United Kingdom to its capital.
London
Belfast
Edinburgh
Cardiff
Q4.In 2024, to the nearest million, what was the population of the UK?
Q5.What is the purpose of a census?
Q6.How often is the UK census taken?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.How many cities are there in the UK?
Q2.Match the country of the UK to its population.
57.1 million
1.91 million
5.45 million
3.13 million
Q3.Population density is defined as the number of people that live within a square .
Q4.The distribution of the UK is uneven.
Q5.Match the country of the UK to its population density.
434 people per km2
137 people per km2
70 people per km2
153 people per km2
Q6.Human and __________ factors help to explain the population distribution of the UK.
To help you plan your 10 geography lesson on: UK cities and population distribution, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 geography lesson on: UK cities and population distribution, 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 4 geography lessons from the Liverpool: case study of a UK city unit, dive into the full secondary geography curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.