Australian Communities: Population Pyramids
| Grade | Work Samples |
|---|---|
| End of Stage 5 (end of Year 10) | |
| Grade A | Terry Riley |
| Grade B | Jamie Pat Courtney |
| Grade C | Kim Ashley Morgan |
| Grade D | Jo Jordan |
Description of activity
This activity involves the construction and analysis of population pyramids. Students:
- construct a population pyramid for Australian total population, using percentages rather than numbers, from the table of statistics provided (Worksheet 1)
- compare their own pyramid with a population pyramid for Indigenous Australians
- identify and describe three differences between the two pyramids
- individually submit their worksheet for marking and briefly explain their findings to the teacher
- analyse and discuss the pyramids in terms of age and gender groupings, highlighting differences with the class.
This activity should take approximately 60 minutes to complete.
Extension Activity: Students interpret the pyramids differences in terms of 0-14 yrs, 15-64 yrs and 65+ age groupings, and identify and discuss issues related to the major cohorts.
Context
This activity takes place early in the unit of work addressing Changing Australian Communities (5A2) and presupposes an awareness of social and cultural stereotypes in Australia. This activity concerns the construction and interpretation of population pyramids and directly relates to the use of geographical tools and 'types of communities in Australia including Indigenous communities'.
Areas for Assessment
Outcomes
A student:
5.2 analyses, organises and synthesises geographical information
5.3 selects and uses appropriate written, oral and graphic forms to communicate geographical information
5.4 selects and applies appropriate geographical tools
5.8 accounts for differences within and between Australian communities
Criteria for assessing learning
(These criteria would normally be communicated to students with the activity.)
Students will be assessed on their ability to:
- create a population pyramid which matches the overlay provided by the teacher
- identify and describe differences between the two pyramids
- explain the disparities between the Indigenous community and the total Australian population based on comparing the two population pyramids.