By the end of this activity, students will be able to:
understand the population dynamics of Madagascar.
compare and contrast the population dynamics of Madagascar to those in
the United States.
predict some consequences of the youthful age distribution in
be able to calculate percentages of given population numbers.
represent population age data in pie-chart and bar-graph form.
know some basic information about the history and people of Madagascar.
Related National StandardsNational Science Education Standards (National Research Council)
Science Standard F: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
Populations, resources, and environments
When an area becomes overpopulated, the environment will become degraded
due to the increased use of resources.
Causes of environmental degradation and resource depletion vary from
region to region and country to country.
Science Standard F: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
Populations can grow or decline through the combined effects of births
and deaths, and through emigration and immigration. Populations can increase
through linear or exponential growth, with effects on resource use and
Various factors influence birth rates and fertility rates, such as
average levels of affluence and education, importance of children in the labor
force, education and employment of women, infant mortality rates, cost of
raising children, availability and reliability of birth control methods, and
religious beliefs and cultural norms that influence personal decisions about
Estimated Time to Complete Lesson
The activity should take one class period to complete. Procedure Step #5 can be
assigned for homework, which would mean a second class period for each group to
report on its findings and discuss the implications of the information.
Teaching StrategyBackground Information
Almost half the population of Madagascar is under the age of 15. It is
estimated that the population will double by the year 2025. These population
dynamics are placing a severe strain on the economy and the environment.
Seventy five percent of the population lives in rural areas and 25 percent in
urban areas. The official languages are Malagasy and French. Fifty-two percent
of the people hold indigenous beliefs (which have a significant ancestor
worship component), 41 percent of the people are Christians and 7 percent are
Madagascar was a former French colony that became independent in 1960. It is
presently a multiparty democracy. In the past 40 years Madagascar has had
despotic socialist and military governments whose policies largely failed to
meet the peoples' needs.
Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world. The per-capita income
is $230. Malnutrition in children is a major problem to the degree that
approximately half the children under the age of three have growth
abnormalities due to lack of proper food. Agriculture is the mainstay of the
population, yet the intense slash-and-burn agriculture methods are destroying
the environments that support the people. Soil erosion is also a major problem.
Seasonal problems include cyclones and flooding. As observed from space, it has
been said that Madagascar looks like it is "bleeding" from the rains that wash
away the red, iron-rich soil.
In the early 1990s the Malagasy government and some international organizations
(such as the Wildlife Conservation Society and CARE International) formed a
coalition to preserve the island biodiversity and meet the peoples' needs. The
coalition identified significant biologically diverse areas and sheltered some
of that land as natural preserves and parks (totaling now about 2 percent of
the land area). Coalition members encouraged the people to adopt more
sustainable methods of farming and harvesting trees and find ways for new
industries, such as tourism, to take hold. It will take an unwavering,
continuous effort by the Malagasy government, the Malagasy people, and the
international community for Madagascar to realize its growth potential and
protect the many unique life forms the island harbors.
Divide the class into groups and give each student a copy of the
Population Dynamics activity sheet. Have each group fill out the
Have students calculate the population age data in terms of percentages.
Give each student a piece of graph paper and a compass. Have each student
make two pie charts: one representing the age distribution in Madagascar and
one representing the U.S. population. Each pie chart should have a title and
the percentage numbers written in the pie wedges. Have students represent the
data in bar-graph form using red and blue pen to distinguish the two
Students should complete Part III on their activity sheet, which asks them
to analyze the information in terms of what actions each government should take
to meet the challenges that the population dynamics in their country present.
For the second activity, divide students into seven groups and provide each
student with a copy of the Madagascar's Society activity sheet. Assign
each group one of the topic areas (1-7) to research. Have students present
their findings to the class. The research can be done as a homework assignment
or an in-class activity. After the research is completed, have students take
notes on each group's presentation so that at the end of the lesson each
student has a completed thumbnail sketch profile of current Madagascar
Offers statistics on the Population, Health, and Nutrition sector in developing
countries assisted by US Agency for International Development.
Students may be assessed through:
the accuracy of their research in terms of completing the Population
Dynamics activity sheet.
the accuracy of their percentage calculations.
the quality of their pie charts and bar graphs.
the thoughtfulness and completeness of their responses to the questions
in Part III of the Population Dynamics activity sheet.
the depth, organization, and clarity of their verbal presentation of the
Madagascar's Society activity.
Find out what the Madagascar government and U.S. government have planned
to address the needs of their respective peoples. For example, what are the
plans for Social Security and Medicare in this country? What are the plans to
reduce infant mortality and provide better child nutrition in Madagascar?
Create a bulletin board depicting the information that they learned in
this activity. Include as many statistics as possible and encourage
students to find creative ways to display their work.