Population growth rates: Connecting mathematics to studies of society and the environment

Abstract

This article reports on the teaching of a unit of lessons which integrates mathematics with studies of society and the environment. The unit entitled "Population Growth Rates" was taught to a double class of Year 6 students by a team of three teachers. The objectives of the unit were (i) to provide students with a real-world context in which to study the mathematical concepts and processes associated with large numbers and percents, (ii) to increase students' awareness of the social effects of population growth rates, and (iii) to provide students with an opportunity to explore real-world data, examine the features and trends in the data, and make reasonable conclusions.