Teresita E. Fajardo
Mt. Carmel-St. Anthony School
URBAN POPULATION GROWTH AND
CHANGE
Your
family is driving from Benito Juarez Airport to your grandparents’ house in
Mexico City. You are visiting Mexico for
the first time. Your father left Mexico
twenty years ago to seek for a better life in the United States where he met
and married your mother. As the car travels slowly on the busy road, your eyes
gazed at a distance on the crowded hillsides with thousands of small houses.
Your father explained that Mexico City is one of the largest cities in the
world. You inquired about the haze. Your
father further explained that Mexico City could be compared to Los Angeles,
California in a way because like Los Angeles, Mexico City sits in a bowl where
sometimes the polluted air settles over it.
As you traveled closer to the downtown area, you passed through wide boulevards and parks where beautiful flowers in abundance brighten the scenery. Looking around you, you were intrigued by the dizzying movements of people shopping, of those walking in a hurry, and those who were just busy buying food from sidewalk vendors. What you saw was a first hand experience of what has happened to the population of Mexico City in just a century. Now Mexico City has almost 20 million residents. This population explosion is also happening all over the world.
At
the start of the second millennium, the Earth became a home to almost 6 billion
people. Many of the people in the world are moving to the city. In the year 2000, there were 20 mega cities
that were identified. A mega city is a region that has 10 million or more
people. Tokyo, New York City, and Sao Paulo are classified as mega cities.
Assume
that you are an environmentalist assigned to study the effects of the
increasing migration to the cities. You
will investigate the effects of high population growth to both developed and
developing countries. You will gather materials regarding the influx of people
into cities and the changes that occurred due to migration.
Using Public Policy Analysis worksheets and the
websites enumerated in the Resources section, you will write a research paper
about the effects of increasing urban migration. You have to develop the following topics:
a) High urban population growth
rates affect developing countries.
b) Urban migration has changed
developed countries.
c) Challenges that high urban
population presents in both developed and developing countries.
d) Solutions to manage the
growing urban population.
e) The relationships between
urban population and the environment.
1. Since there are 30 of you in
class, form 5 groups of six.
2. There are 5 topics that you
have to complete.
3. There are 6 tasks that you
have to do to accomplish this project.
4. Each group must submit the
following information on a 5”x8” index card: Group number, topic, names of the
members, and task assignment for each member.
5. Task 1: Go to http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/ltgy.html.
Follow the PPA steps and complete all the PPA worksheets. Access the http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/PPA/ghppai1.html.
Click on the following steps
to complete the worksheets:
6. Task 2: Use the websites
provided in the section called Resources to gather information.
7. Task 3: Gather documents how the urban influx of people affects
developed and developing countries.
8. Task 4: Using Microsoft Excel, present a graph to show
similarities and differences in urban migration in developed and developing
countries in terms of population density, population growth rates, life
expectancy, energy consumption, carbon dioxide emissions, and access to safe
drinking water.
9. Task 5: Using Microsoft Power Point, enumerate the
challenges that high urban population brings and the solutions to manage the
growing urban population.
10. Task 6: Using Microsoft Excel, present a graph showing
the relationship between urban population and the environment.
To complete the tasks, you
may use the following web sites:
http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/ltgy.html
http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0027.html
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1126714
http://www.unfpa.org/swp/1996/ch3.htm
http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview?LPid=243
http://www.bbsgov.org/ana_vol1/Growth.htm
http://encarta.msn.com/media_701500251_761561241_-1_1/Urban_Population_Growth.html
http://www.bbsgov.org/ana_vol1/urbaniz.htm
http://members.aol.com/bowermanb/population.html
http://www.environmentalreview.org/vol05/vol5no7.pdf
http://www.prb.org/Content/NavigationMenu/PRB/Educators/TeachingStandards/Teaching_Standards.html
|
Criterion |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
|
Data Gathering and Interpretation |
The problem has
been researched thoroughly. PPA steps and worksheets were completed. |
The problem has
been researched thoroughly. Most PPA steps and
worksheets were completed. |
The problem was
partially researched. Some of the PPA
steps and worksheets were completed. |
The problem was
partially researched. Some of the worksheets were incomplete. |
|
Research Paper |
The main idea is
interesting and well stated. Complete, clear, and smooth transition of ideas
supported the topic. The mechanics of
writing were fully satisfied. |
The main idea is
good. The
supporting ideas are incomplete. The transition of
ideas was sometimes unclear and not expressed smoothly. The mechanics of
writing were not totally satisfied. |
Some ideas are
related and presented in correct order. The researches are not enough to
support the ideas expressed. The use of paragraphs was often incorrect. There
were errors in the mechanics of writing. |
Few ideas are
related and presented in correct order. The topics are not covered in
detailed by the researches. The ideas were not properly stated. There were plenty
of errors in the mechanics of writing. |
|
Graph Presentation |
Clear, concise,
and complete graph and slide presentations using Microsoft Excel and
Microsoft Power Point. |
The presentations
were complete, yet unclear at times. Most of the questions were answered. |
Graphs and slides
did not show the answers to all the questions. |
The graphs and
slides were not clear and complete. |
Total
Possible Points:
12-10 = A
9-7
= B
6-4 = C
3-1 = D
0= F
Standard
3: Geography:
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their
understanding of the geography of the interdependent world in which we live -
local, national, and global-including the distribution of people, places, and
environments over the earth’s surface.
Students
·
Learn how to examine the impacts of urban population growth and
distribution on a variety of environmental factors.
·
Study a set of fact sheets that profile the population-environment
trends of both developed and developing countries.
·
Develop understanding of how people use the environment.
Standard
1: Language for Information and Understanding:
Students will
read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding.
Students
·
Select information appropriate to the purpose of the investigation and
relate ideas from one source to another.
·
Present information clearly in oral and written forms.
·
Use details and examples to clarify information.
·
Observe basic writing mechanics, such as correct spelling, punctuation,
capitalization, and sentence/paragraph structures.
This Web\Quest has enabled each one of you to understand the effects of increasing urban migration in developed and developing countries, the challenges that high urban population presents in both developed and developing countries, the solutions to manage the growing urban population, and the relationships between urban population and the environment. Using Public Policy Analysis worksheets and the websites enumerated in the Resources section, you were able to write a research paper and graph the results of your findings using both Microsoft Power Point and Microsoft Excel. You were able to develop an original public policy that can be used to deal with the specific problem that you have researched and reported on, and I am very sure that you will be more scientifically inclined in finding solutions to problems that you will meet in your daily lives and in your studies.