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LESSON DEVELOPMENT

ACTIVITY 1;

 

Basic concepts in population

  1. a) Fertility – this is defined as the ability of a woman to give birth to a live child.
  2. b) Fertility rate - refers to the average number of children born per woman during her child bearing years in a given population.

Factors that determine fertility rate

Ø Literacy levels among women.

Ø The marriage rate among people in the productive age bracket.

Ø Cost of bringing up children.

Ø Economic significance of a large family, e.g. children seen as a source of cheap labour e.t.c.

Ø Cultural beliefs e.g. where many children were a source of prestige.

Ø Availability of medical facilities.

Ø Religious factors e.g. where some religions prohibits use of family planning

  1. c) Birth rate – refers to the number of live births per 1000 people per year. This is also referred to as crude birth rate and may be calculated as follows:

CBR= Number of Births    x 1000    

             Total population

ACTIVITY 2;

 

Factors that are likely to lead to high birth rates

Ø Cultural practices e.g taking children as security during old age.

Ø Early marriages prolomnging the woman’s reprodcutive life.

Ø Children being seen as a sou=rce of cheap labour.

Ø Where people are opposed to family planning methods

Ø Ignorance- lack of knowledge to family planning methods

Ø Religious beliefs which encourage large families and discourage use of family planning methods. 

ACTIVITY 3;

 

Factors that may lead to decline in birth rates

Ø Delayed marriages dues to such things as staying in school for long period

Ø Craving for high standards of living leading to people having few children

Ø Where small families are considered fashionable

Ø Use of family planning methods

Ø Availability of retirement schemes making people to stop children as security in old age.

  1. a) Mortality/death rate – refer to the number of people who die per thousand people per year. Is also known as natural attrition rate and may be calculated as follows:

MR= Number of death   x 1000    

             Total population

  1. b) Infant mortality rate- refers to the number of child deaths per thousand children below the age one year per annum.

Population growth rate – refers to the rate at which the population of a country is increasing or decreasing.