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Size isn’t everything. The world has a population of over 6 billion. That makes New Zealand’s population small in comparison. But we have reached a milestone in our population by getting to 4 million.
How has New Zealand’s population grown since records have been kept?
Go to the Statistics New Zealand website to find out about our current population and how it has grown. Find the population clock and read the population facts.
After viewing the information create the following tables in a spreadsheet. Later you will create graphs of your data.
| Population |
Year |
Time taken to reach million |
| 1 million |
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| 2 million |
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| 3 million |
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| 4 million |
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Make statements about the data. Which million milestone was the quickest, the slowest?
Summarise some other data from the population facts (Taken from the closest Census data.)
| % of population |
1 million |
2 million |
3 million |
4 million |
| Auckland |
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| Wellington |
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| Christchurch |
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| Dunedin |
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| North Island |
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| South Island |
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Make statements about the information you have collated.
What do you notice is happening to New Zealand’s population as it grows?
When you have analysed the data about New Zealand’s population create a pamphlet that could be part of the ‘School’s Corner’.
Or be included in the next StatZing! Magazine that is sent to schools. An example of StatZing!
As New Zealand hit the four million count many predictions were made. Read some of them in the New Zealand Herald Population Special Feature.
Go to the article: ‘Stand by, we’re in the four million club!’ As you read look for answers to these questions:
· Which other countries have populations of 4 million?
· In what ways are those countries different to New Zealand?
· How many kiwis were there in 1923? How many now? Why have kiwi numbers declined so rapidly?
Read: ‘Our Size is our Blessing’
· What are the factors that make New Zealand remarkable compared to the rest of the world? For example – our remoteness, our wide open spaces.
· What effect do you think the growth of our population has on the kiwi?
Read about the brown kiwi to help you form your opinion.
Once you have read the special features what do you think about New Zealand’s population? Should we aim to grow or stay as we are? Present both points of view as a chart or in Inspiration or Word map.
An extra challenge: Set up a debate in your classroom on the topic
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