This activity reviews the terms and concepts of population density, introduces the concept of population distribution, and examines factors that affect the distribution of world population. Assessment summative evaluation by teacher of one set of statements on global population distribution from each group in Strategy 6, below The criteria should include the appropriate use of terms such as clusters, linear, high density, etc. Population distribution refers to how the people are spread across the land. This refers to the pattern of habitation or where people live. Review the terms clustered, scattered, and linear from Activity 1.
Students work in pairs for directed examination in an atlas.
Provide maps of Canada's population distribution and various other maps showing population distribution factors such as climate, physical features, and agricultural and resource regions such as fishing, mining, forestry. Identify for students the areas of dense and sparse population, and model how to relate those to the patterns on the other maps. For example, a mild climate, the presence of valuable resources, and major transportation routes tend to attract people to an area. As a large group, the class synthesizes the information and develops three simple statements describing the patterns of Canada's population distribution. Divide the class into six groups and assign each group one continent.