Economic Map of the World.

WORLD SNAPSHOT: 2000

* Total population 6.1 billion

* Population doubling time (at current rate) 51 years

* Population under age 15 31%

* Population age 65 and over 7%

* Birth rate 22 births/1,000 population

* Death rate 9 deaths/1,000 population

* Fertility rate 2.9 children per woman

* Life expectancy at birth 66 years (64 male; 68 female)

* Infant mortality rate 57 deaths/1,000 live births

* Gross world product (1999) $40.7 trillion

* Gross world product per capita (1999) $6,800

* Number of independent nations 192

SOURCE: 2000 WORLD POPULATION DATA SHEET, POPULATION REFERENCE BUREAU INC.; THE WORLD FACTBOOK 2000, U.S. CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY.

The World in Focus

FOCUS: Using Statistics to Understand Key Economic, Social, and Political Trends

TEACHING OBJECTIVES

To help students understand how statistics spotlight important trends in economic development and quality of life.

Discussion Questions:

* Many experts on economic development say that people in industrialized countries usually need a higher level of literacy to earn a living and function in society than do people in nonindustrialized countries. What do you think accounts for this difference?

* What additional data would you include in "The World in Focus" to help students compare countries and understand life in other parts of the world?

CLASSROOM STRATEGIES

Web Watch I: Use page TE 5 to show links between students' states and the world. Then check the Web site of the International Trade Administration www.ita.doc.gov/td/industry/otea/state/ which shows state exports, by total, by product, and by countries they sell to. Students should understand that exports mean jobs for their state. (Of course, the free trade in which exports thrive can also mean a loss of jobs to lower-wage countries.)

Compare and Contrast: Next, examine the human-development index (HDI). Note that the high level of human development in the U.S. is nearly identical to that in several other countries. Have students identify countries that rank with the U.S. in the 0.900 range (20), and note that two nations rank higher than the U.S. Are students surprised to learn that other countries rank alongside the U.S.? Can they suggest other criteria to measure HDI?

Next, compare birthrates and HDI. (With some exceptions, countries with high HDI rates have low birthrates, while countries with high birthrates have low HDI rates. Read the "Population Growth" box, page 26, and discuss how a high birthrate could impede access to education (HDI literacy data), adequate employment (HDI purchasing-power data), and health care (HDI life-expectancy data.)

Web Watch II: Check the UN Human Development Program www.undp. org/hdro to see scores of measurements of human development. Hit "Statistics," then "Statistics From HDR."