The Population EducatorTeacher Training and Resources from Population Connection

Population Connection Education Program 2120 L St NW, Suite 500 Washington DC 20037 1-800-POP-1956 202-332-2302 www.populationeducation.org

May 2013

And the winners are ...On May 7th, we announced the winners of the 2012-2013 World of 7 Billion student video con-test that challenged high school students to connect population growth to a current global issue. A panel of guest judges selected 13 win-ning videos from three different categories: food security, wildlife habitat and the global status of women and girls. The winning videos in each were awarded cash prizes of $1,000 for the first place winner, $500 for second place winner, and $250 honorable mention prizes.

This year we received 567 submissions from all over the world - including 37 states, one territory (American Samoa), and 18 countries abroad. To help us select winners out of the hundreds of vid-eos, we had 21 highly qualified judges who were experts in the field of the topic they were judging or in video and film production. We were very

happy with the turnout and the quality of the videos submitted - the creative ideas and effort put forth by the students was impressive. Make sure to check out the winning videos!

All of the students’ videos conveyed a connec-tion between population and a current global issues in a way that indicated a genuine interest in the subject matter and sent a strong message. Many of the filmmakers described how much they learned about their topic and population issues in general while creating their videos. It is clear that the contest increased awareness of this important issue. Congratulations to all of the finalists and the winners!

Global Status of Women/Girls: First Place: Sara Hubberstey-Waterloo, ON Second Place: Scout Taylor- Davis, CAHonorable Mention: Maxine Alindogan-Taguig City, Philippines;Katherine Salvatori-Osprey, FL

Wildlife Habitat: First Place: Kelley Sheahan- El Cajon, CASecond Place: Michael Ge- Fullerton, CA Honorable Mention: Olivia Wermers-Virginia Beach; Anne McGrath-Toronto, ON

Food Security: First Place: Marius Vaitkevicius-Mazeikiai, LithuaniaSecond Place: Sara Hubberstey-Waterloo, ONHonorable Mention: Robert Chandler-Snellville, GA; Kiyomi Morrison-Los Angeles, CA; Nick Kleine-Tebbe-Chattaroy, WA

The winners of the 2012-2013 World of 7 Billion Student Video Contest:

Population Connection Education Program 2120 L St NW, Suite 500 Washington DC 20037 1-800-POP-1956 202-332-2302 www.populationeducation.org

All of the winning videos can be viewed at www.worldof7billion.org, along with profiles and in-terviews of the students, and a list of our judges. Many thanks to all of the students (and their teachers) who entered and crafted such outstanding video messages on population issues.

Marius Vaitkevicius, an 11th grader at Gabija Gymnasium in Mažeikiai Lithuania, has been making films since he was nine years old, and it shows in his video featuring an impressive series of infographics timed perfectly to upbeat music. Dur-ing his research, Marius said he “was surprised when I found out that there is enough food for all of us but not everyone has access to it.” Although just 16, Marius has created professional quality videos -- some that he has sold -- and saw using com-puter graphics to make his vid-eo as an interesting challenge.

Marius Vaitkevicius,Food Security

Kelley Sheahan, a 9th grader at Grossmont High School in La Mesa, CA, began working on her World of 7 Billion video as part of an assignment in her geography class, but was so pleased with the outcome that she decided to officially enter it into the contest. She felt most personally connected to the topic of Wildlife Habitat, and wanted to send a strong mes-sage because “people some-times don’t realize their actions’ impact” on the homes of ani-mals. Her video features a beau-tiful display of origami, a hobby of hers since elementary school.

Sara Hubberstey is a 12th grad-er at the Waterloo Collegiate Institute in Waterloo, Ontario, and was surprised to discover that she had made World of 7 Billion contest history by see-ing not one, but two of her en-tries take a final prize. Her video “The Need for Equality” took first place in the Global Status of Women and Girls category, and “Disappearing Act” took second in the Food Security category. Sara decided to cre-ate multiple videos because she felt she “had something to say about all of them” and that each one of them “affects all of us.” She plans to put her prize mon-ey toward attending the Uni-versity of Waterloo in the Fall.

Kelly Sheahan,Wildlife Habitat

Sara Hubberstey,The Global Status of

Women/Girls

A bit about our first place winners:

News & Resources

Population Connection Education Program 2120 L St NW, Suite 500 Washington DC 20037 1-800-POP-1956 202-332-2302 www.populationeducation.org P 4

Mother:Caring for 7 BillionThe documentary Mother: Caring for 7 Billion is a great tool for high school science and social studies classrooms. The film explores the complexities of population growth, highlighting environmental and social impacts. In honor of Earth Day, Mother is available on YouTube for free streaming until the end of May. You can find the YouTube version here. Mother is avail-able for purchase at www.motherthefilm.com. The academic version is now $74.95 and comes with a few Population Connection lesson plans. Purchase orders are accepted. The film can also be rented for $3.99 and streamed off of the website, or downloaded for $15.

Next Generation Science StandardsThe 2013 Next Generation Science Standards were released on April 9th, 2013. The K-12 Next Gen-eration Science Standards framework established new learning expectations which were broken

into 3 different dimensions for which students are to understand science content: through context in content of science and engineering practices, understanding how science knowledge is acquired and understood, and how the sciences are connected through concepts that have universal meaning throughout the disciplines. The standards integrate important

concepts of engineering and other STEM concepts as well. Population Education activities and cur-ricula have been matched to the new Science standards - you can find the matches here. As the state adoption process begins, continue to check back with us to find the correlation matches for your state.

Share My LessonA website featuring lesson plans, teacher resources and activities specific to the Common Core State Standards developed by the American Federation of Teachers. Utilize free access to a variety of edu-cator resources to help you cover all aspects of the Common Core State Standards, and keep your eye out for Population Education activities! We have Common Core standard matches for all of our curri-cula available on our website.

MyWorld2015A website created by the United Nations that features a survey open to all citizens throughout the world. Users take the survey and select six different issues that they believe are most impor-tant to them and their family, and also would make the most difference in their lives. The results will be collected until 2015, and then presented to the UN in hopes of redefining a new development agenda for the world. This is an excellent way to introduce the Millenium Develoment Goals to your classroom - Pair this survey with our lesson, Climbing The Ladder!

WorkshopsCheck Us Out: To see how hands-on population activities can fit into your classroom, attend a workshop! Our staff and volunteer trainers will conduct teacher trainings at the following confer-ences in the next few months. Visit the website of the sponsoring organization to find out how to attend the conference. To schedule a teacher training workshop for your education methods class, conference or in-service day, please visit www.PopulationEducation.org or call (800) 767-1956.

6/14/13 Minnesota Association for Environmental Education Bloomington, MN6/15/13 Environmental Education Association of South Carolina Seabrook Island, SC7/11/13 Conference for the Advancement of Mathematics Teaching San Antonio, TX7/23/13 National Marine Educators Association Mobile, AL8/02/13 National Council for Geographic Education Denver, CO8/07/13 Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education LaCrosse, WI9/13/13 North Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children Raleigh, NC9/13/13 Kentucky Association for Environmental Education Cadiz, AZ 9/23/13 Ohio Association for Gifted Children Columbus, OH9/26/13 Midwest Environmental Education Conference Coralville, IA9/27/13 Florida Association for the Education of Young Children Orlando, FL9/27/13 Tennessee Mathematics Teachers Association Memphis, TN9/30/13 Ohio Council for the Social Studies Columbus, OH10/05/13 Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education Detroit, MI10/07/13 Colorado Association for Gifted and Talented Denver, CO10/10/13 North American Association for Environmental Education Baltimore, MD10/11/13 Georgia Association on Young Children Atlanta, GA10/11/13 Northwest Mathematics Conference Bellevue, WA10/15/13 New Jersey Science Convention Princeton, NJ10/17/13 Education Minnesota Professional Conference St. Paul, MN10/17/13 Georgia Council for the Social Studies Athens, GA10/17/13 Georgia Council of Teachers of Mathematics Rock Eagle, GA10/17/13 National Council of Teachers of Mathematics - Eastern Regional Baltimore, MD10/17/13 Ohio Council of Teachers of Mathematics Dayton, OH10/18/13 Gifted Association of Missouri Springfield, MO10/18/13 Great Lakes Regional Social Studies Conference Lansing, MI10/18/13 Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics Peoria, IL10/18/13 New Jersey Association for the Education of Young Children Atlantic City, NJ10/18/13 Montana Education Association/Montana Federation of Teachers Belgrade, MT10/18/13 Maryland Council for the Social Studies Annapolis, MD10/24/13 National Council of Teachers of Mathematics - Western Regional Las Vegas, NV10/24/13 National Science Teachers Association - Western Regional Portland, OR10/25/13 California Science Teachers Association Palm Springs, CA

Population Connection Education Program 2120 L St NW, Suite 500 Washington DC 20037 1-800-POP-1956 202-332-2302 www.populationeducation.org P 6

PE PLECOUNTING ON

K-5 Activities for Global Citizenship

Population Connection © 2013

UNIT 5 | CROWDING

CROWDING CANBE SEEDY

CONCEPTCrowding affects the ability of living things to thrive.

GRADE LEVELLower elementary

SUBJECTSScience, Social Studies, Math

OBJECTIVESStudents will be able to:• Describe two effects of crowding on

living things.• Name two resources plants need to

grow well.• Chronicle observations of growing

plants using pictures and words.

SKILLSObserving, collecting and analyzing data, drawing, basic gardening, understanding cause and effect, employing the Scientific Method

MATERIALSPart 1:• 20 ft of yarn/tape or chalk

Part 2:• Package of radish seeds (or other fast germinating seeds)• Potting soil • Plastic containers to plant seeds (per student)• Water-catch basins (plastic lids, aluminum pans, etc.)• Labels

INTRODUCTIONDifferent plants and animals need different amounts of space to grow well and be healthy. In this activity, students will first simulate seeds sprouting together in a crowded pot then plant real seeds in a gardening lab to determine how space makes a difference in their growth.

PART 1: THE SPROUTS GAMEPROCEDURE1. Mark off a 5 ft x 5 ft (1.5 m x 1.5 m) area with yarn, tape, or chalk.

2. Ask someone to assume the role of a seed. The seed is “planted” inside the square and remains dormant.

(Person should be sitting with head tucked.) You canuse the following rhyme to signal the seed to start“growing.”

METHODA simulation and gardening lab give students hands-on experience with the effects of increasing population density.

Population Connection © 2013Activity: Crowding Can Be Seedy, Page 2Unit 5 | Crowding

The sun shines,the wind blows,the rain falls andthe little seed grows!

Given a signal to sprout, the seed slowly becomes active and finally becomes a mature plant, standing and slowly waving its stem and branches (using arms and upper body).

Ask the student: “Do you have enough soil for your roots? Enough space for your leaves? Enough light?”

3. Now plant more and more seeds (students) in the same area and (try to) repeat the growth process each time. Be sure to interview the seeds after each round. Set ground rules about touching other students. (Ex. If you touch another plant, you have become tangled and cannot grow, so you must go back into the ground.)

PART 2: GARDENING GROWTHPROCEDURE1. Make planting pots by punching drainage holes in the bottoms of plastic containers deep enough for growing radishes.

2. Fill the pots with potting soil to about 1/4 inch below the rim.

3. Distribute the seeds as follows: Give 1/3 of the class (Group 1) one seed each; give 1/3 of the class (Group 2) two seeds each; give 1/3 of the class (Group 3) six to ten seeds each.

4. Plant seeds at the depth recommended on the seed package. Each student should plant all his or her seeds in a single hole in the middle of the carton. Students should label their cartons with their names, the number of seeds planted, and the date.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS1. What happened to some of the “seeds?”

As the activity progressed, the seeds became more crowded and had less space to spread their roots and leaves. Each seed had a smaller share of the soil and the rain.

2. How did you feel if you did not have enough room to sprout and grow?

3. Think of your own home and the people you share it with. What would it be like if there were two or three times as many of you living there? What things might there be too much or not enough of? (Possible answers: too much noise, trash; not enough beds, food, hot water, space, privacy, quiet, etc.) How do you think you and the people you live with would like that?

Population Connection © 2013Activity: Crowding Can Be Seedy, Page 3Unit 5 | Crowding

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS1. Which students grew the largest radish? The smallest?

2. Which group overall grew the largest, most healthy-looking radishes? Why do you think that was the case?

Most likely, Group 1 grew the largest radishes. The seeds in this group had the most space, received all of the sunlight, could take in the soil’s nutrients, etc.

5. Set the pots in a lighted spot and keep them moist. Seeds should germinate in about one week. Maintain the plants during the growth period and have students draw and make notes on the growth observed (including measuring height) for their plants either in a science journal or on the provided Student Worksheet. Place the pots for each group together so that students can compare the foliage among groups. Make sure all of the plants receive the same amount of water and sunlight to eliminate multiple variables from the experiment.

6. Harvest the radishes when foliage appears thick and mature. It should take 20-30 days from the time you plant the radishes to when you harvest them (using spring varieties). Compare the size and relative health of the plants and radishes for the different groups.

MEASURING LEARNINGReview students’ science journals or worksheets for their observations and drawings of the plants over the course of the month and gauge understanding from classroom discussion.

CROWDING CAN BE SEEDYSTUDENT WORKSHEET

Population Connection © 2013

In each block on the chart below, draw a picture of your plant for Days 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 and measure the height of the plant with a ruler. On Day 30, you can draw the radishes that were pulled up from the roots.

Activity: Crowding Can Be SeedyStudent Worksheet, Page 1

Unit 5 | Crowding

Name:

Group:

Height: centimeters

Date:

Day 5

Height: centimeters

Day 15

Height: centimeters

Day 25

Height: centimeters

Day 10

Height: centimeters

Day 20

Height: centimeters

Day 30

Population Connection © 2013

1. How many seeds did you plant in your pot? _____________________________________

2. On which day did your plant begin to sprout? ____________________________________

3. How many radishes grew in your pot? __________________________________________

4. Did your plant and radishes look healthy? ________________________ How can you tell?

________________________________________________________________________

5. How do your plants and radishes compare to the ones grown by others in your group?

_______________________________________________________________________ 6. How do your plants and radishes compare to the ones grown by students in the other two

groups? ________________________________________________________________

7. Name two resources that your plant needed to be healthy. _________________________

and____________________________________________________________________

8. Name two effects of crowding too many plants in the pot. __________________________

and ____________________________________________________________________

Activity: Crowding Can Be SeedyStudent Worksheet, Page 2

Unit 5 | Crowding