In response to concerns over the educational achievement of students in the United States, states were encouraged to establish a clear set of standards about what students are expected to learn. Standards provide both content and skills, defined in every grade level or clusters of grades. Curriculum and assessment systems are organized around these expectations in the core subject areas of English, mathematics, science, and social studies. While nationally mandated standards do not exist, subject-area professional associations have developed national standards in these subjects.
The Population Reference Bureau recognizes that educators are required to follow their state standards and to rely on the professionally established standards when teaching. Most are restricted by curriculum established by their school districts, so introducing population issues along with the vast topics to be covered in a school year may seem daunting. The following is an example of how PRB's materials may be useful in helping to teach to the standards by providing real-world data, examples, and information.
Expectations of Excellence: Curriculum Standards for the Social Studies
National Council for the Social Studies
Thematic Strand III. People, Places and Environments
- Adventures on Earth: This classroom guide teaches students about how people use the environment. Middle to high school.
- US in the World: A set of fact sheets that profile the population-environment trends of U.S. states and a matched developing country. Middle to high school.
- Population Change, Resources, and the Environment: A 40-page report examining the global impacts of population growth and distribution on a variety of environmental factors. Teacher supplement.
The National Geography Standards
Geography Education Standards Project: American Geographical Society, Association of American Geographers, National Council for Geographic Education, and National Geographic Society
Human Systems Standard 9. The Characteristics, Distribution, and Migration of Human Populations on Earth's Surface
- Human Population: Fundamentals of Growth and Change: A 34-page booklet focusing on eight elements of population dynamics: population growth and distribution, natural increase, migration, age and sex distribution, urbanization, women, health, and the environment. Middle school to college students.
- Pyramid Building: A lesson giving students the background to understand the importance of age structure on population growth and instructions on how to create a population pyramid to depict the population structure of different societies. Middle to high school.
- Facts in Focus: A series of short activities to introduce students to the wealth of data on the world, its regions, and individual countries as well as major demographic concepts. Middle to high school.
- More than Just Numbers: A publication that provides information on world population trends in the 21st century. High school or teacher supplement.
- Population: A Lively Introduction: A 48-page report discussing the basic forces of demographic change and common assessment measures. Teacher supplement.
The Uses of Geography Standard 18. How to Apply Geography to Interpret the Present and Plan for the Future
- Aging in the United States: A teaching module helps students understand the major issues surrounding the growth of the older population in the United States. High school.
- Charting U.S. Population Change: A series of questions surrounding the changing demographics of the American family, racial identity, and other characteristics, using real-world data from the Population Reference Bureau.