Subject Areas: secondary current events, social studies, political science, communication arts, and math classes

Estimated Time: Two to three 45-minute class periods

Grade Level: 9-12 (lesson can be modified for lower grades)

Lesson Objectives:
Students will:
1. participate in an informal classroom survey and discussion of class survey results.
2. make comparisons between classroom survey results and current population trends.
3. participate in class discussion activities related to community growth and national population trends.
4. participate in small group brainstorming activities.
5. analyze community growth statistics and maps and make inferences about regional population growth.
6. conduct group research about the pros and cons of rapid community growth.
7. present group research findings and conclusions through the presentation of a creative project.

Correlation to National Standards

Materials Needed:

• U.S. Map (printer-friendly PDF)
• U.S. Census Bureau Fact Sheet on Population (printer-friendly PDF)
• Sunbelt States Map (printer-friendly PDF)
• large pieces of chart paper and markers
• Internet access and access to library research materials
• Community Growth assignment (printer-friendly PDF)

Background:
Over the past five years, many areas in the Sunbelt of the United States have experienced tremendous population growth. While some cities such as Las Vegas launched media campaigns to entice families to relocate, other cities have experienced population booms because of the lifestyle and employment opportunities they have to offer. Rapid growth or status as a "boom town" can make a move to these areas very lucrative and beneficial for some families. On the other hand, there are also drawbacks associated with rapid population increases within communities. This lesson focuses on the pros and cons of rapid growth and how the changes in these communities have affected the residents of these growing areas.

Procedures:

1. Before students arrive, create brainstorming stations around the classroom by placing large pieces of chart paper and markers at each station. Make a separate station for each labeled chart paper. Labels should include:

• Why People Relocate to this Area
• Economic Effect of Population Growth
• Effect of Population Growth on Community Resources
• Impact of Population Growth on Social Services
• Effect of Population Growth on Quality of Life/Lifestyle

2. Begin class by taking a survey. Ask students to record the answer to each question below.
Place a copy of the U.S. Map on the board/overhead for students to refer to as they think about their answers. Encourage students to list a specific city or state when they answer each question.

• If you could live anywhere in the U.S., where would you choose to relocate? Why?
• What area of the country do you think has experienced the greatest population growth over the past five years? Why?

3. Using the U.S. Map from Step 2 above, ask each student in the classroom to indicate where he or she would relocate if the opportunity presented itself and to provide a one-sentence reason as to why he or she would relocate to the selected city/state. Put tally marks in each state to indicate "votes" for that state or cities within it.

4. Tally student responses to question 1 and post them on the board/overhead so that you indicate the top 5-10 locations that would be most popular with students if they could relocate.

5. Based on the survey results, facilitate a group discussion about where students believe the greatest population growth has occurred in our country over the past five years. Encourage students to talk about why they think specific areas or cities have attracted new residents.

6. Using the data below from the U.S. Census Bureau Fact Sheet on Population, discuss which cities have experienced the most growth. Facilitate the discussion by asking questions such as:

• Why do you think these cities have experienced significant growth?
• What do all of these cities have in common in terms of geography?
• Of the cities showing population declines, what geographic commonalties do they share?
• What area of the country are people referring to when they talk about the "sunbelt" states?

7. Show students the Sunbelt States Map and note that this region of the country has
experienced the greatest growth over the past five years. Discuss this growth using questions
such as:

• How do current population trends relate to our informal class survey about where we would choose to relocate if the opportunity were available?
• Does our class follow the trend toward a move to the sunbelt?
• Why do you think our class survey results we similar/different than what is actually happening with the U.S. population

8. Place students into 5 small groups. Direct each group to go to a brainstorming station. Provide each group with 2 minutes to brainstorm both positive and negative ideas related to the community growth topic at each station. Encourage groups to record as many ideas as possible. Groups should read what has been written by others before starting additional brainstorming at each station.

9. When brainstorming is completed, spend 15-20 minutes discussing the information at the various brainstorming stations so that students can start to assimilate how rapid population growth in a specific area can effect the community in both positive and negative ways.

• During discussion encourage students to elaborate on the ideas that have been recorded by providing specific examples to illustrate the pros and cons of rapid community growth.
• This is also a good time to discuss how some communities actively seek new residents through advertising (i.e. Las Vegas) and why a community might make the decision to do this.

10. Working in their small group, direct students to investigate a city/state that has experienced significant, rapid growth in the past five years. Using Internet and library resources along with first-hand interviews and correspondence, have students complete the Community Growth assignment and present their findings to classmates. Provide at least 2 class period for students to work in groups to complete this project.

11. Once projects have been completed, allow each group to present their work to classmates.

Relevant National Standards:
McRel Compendium of K-12 Standards Addressed:

Geography
Standard 12: Understands the patterns of human settlement and their causes
Standard 14: Understands how human actions modify the physical environment
Standard 18: Understands global development and environmental issues

Mathematics
Understands and applies basic and advanced concepts of statistics and data analysis

Language Arts
Writing
Standard 1: Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process
Standard 4: Gathers and uses information for research purposes

Reading
Standard 5: Uses the general skills and strategies of the reading process
Standard 7: Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of informational texts

Listening and Speaking
Standard 8: Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes

Working with Others
Standard 1: Contributes to the overall effort of a group
Standard 4: Displays effective interpersonal communication skills

Extension Activities:
1. Invite a local city planning official into the classroom to discuss the positive and negative effects of rapid growth using your city/town as a model. Have the official talk about how population increases effect the economy, natural resources, social services and the quality of life/lifestyle in your area. Encourage students to have specific questions prepared in advance so they can learn about their city's plans for population growth.

2. Encourage students to look at how shifts in U.S. population affects politics. Examine issues such as:

• the effects of population increase/decrease on state representation in Congress
• the effects of population increase/decrease on the presidential campaign and election process, particularly in the way a candidate formulates his/her platform and whether or not issues faced by fast-growing, heavily populated areas get more attention than those faced by areas losing residents

3. Connect with students in a school located in an area that has experienced rapid population growth in the past five years. Create surveys related to population growth and work with the partner school to administer and tabulate the survey results. Use questions from the Community Growth assignment as a basis for creating surveys. Encourage students from both classes to interact electronically to share survey results and draw conclusions about the effect of the rapid population growth on their city.

NOTE TO TEACHERS: If you select this option, try to make connections to classrooms in a fast growing area through networking with colleagues and acquaintances who may know teachers in the Sunbelt Region. If these connections are not available, do a search for "fastest growing U.S. school districts". Using contact information from the fast growing district's Web site, inquire with the district about schools or individual classrooms that might be interested in collaborating with your students to complete the project. Send a copy of the lesson plan along with your request.

About the Author:
Lisa Prososki is an independent educational consultant and instructional design specialist who taught middle school and high school social studies, English, reading, and technology courses for twelve years. Prososki has worked with PBS TeacherSource and has authored and edited many lesson plans and materials for various PBS programs over the past ten years. In addition to conducting workshops for teachers at various state and national meetings, Prososki works as an editor, creates a wide range of educational and training materials for corporate clients, and has authored one book.

To find out more about opportunities to contribute to this site, contact Leah Clapman at extra@newshour.org.

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