By 1999, it had reached six billion people. All those people need resources, such as drinkable water, food, and places to live. One key is to realize the imbalance in the distribution of resources and the increase in population in different regions of the world. Ask students to define the words. Write their responses on the board.
Resources mean different things to different people.
Perhaps the snowy cap on Mount Kilimanjaro or a pride of lions lying on the savanna. The quality of life in these regions and throughout the world depends in part on the balance between population and the availability of resources. Regional Research Students will research four indicators of the quality of life in six regions of the world. Their results will show tangible evidence of population increases and the unequal distribution of resources. Divide the class into groups of at least six students.