Unit Guide

Ecology: Human Population Growth

Paris Crockett

The Unit on organism population growth takes two weeks. Animal population growth is dependent on land and resources. Growth will occur exponentially until land, water and food are limited. Humans however do not follow the same population growth characteristics we see in nature for two primary reasons: Humans have been able to manipulate nature in their favor and humans can control their reproductive rate. In this Unit students will critically analyze how human population growth has gone through defined stages known as the Demographic Transition. These stages illustrate how the rate of human population growth is decreasing as societies modernize. Students also will read and analyze opposing viewpoints of just how many humans the earth can successfully sustain.