Y5/6 (B): Why does population change?
Based on the National curriculum for Geography in KS2, use this unit hub to inform your medium-term plan.
We’re monitoring the upcoming 2025 National Curriculum updates and will revise our resources when we know more. Learn more
Unit outcomes
Pupils who are secure will be able to:
- Identify the most densely and sparsely populated areas.
- Describe the increase in global population over time.
- Begin to describe what might influence the environments people live in.
- Define birth and death rates, suggesting what may influence them.
- Define migration, discussing push and pull factors.
- Explain why some people have no choice but to leave their homes.
- Describe the causes of climate change, explaining its impact on the global population.
- Suggest an action they can take to fight climate change.
- Calculate the length of a route to scale.
- Follow a selected route on an OS map.
- Use a variety of data collection methods, including using a Likert scale.
- Collect information from a member of the public.
- Create a digital map to plot and compare data collected from two locations.
- Suggest an idea to improve the environment.
Lesson 5 involves fieldwork in a local urban environment. It is important to risk-assess the proposed route taking into account any relevant school risk assessment policies and procedures. Refer to the Before the lesson section in Lesson 5 to prepare for this lesson. Please be aware this lesson may take longer than 1 hour.
Lessons 5 and 6 require a device (one each).
Suggested prior learning
Y5/6 (A): Where does our energy come from?
Get startedLessons
Y5/6 (B): Lesson 1: How is the global population changing?
- To understand the change and distribution of the global population.
Y5/6 (B): Lesson 2: What are birth and death rates?
- To define birth and death rates and describe why they change.
Y5/6 (B): Lesson 3: Why do people migrate?
- To recognise the push and pull factors influencing migration.
Y5/6 (B): Lesson 4: How is climate change impacting the population?
- To begin to understand the impact climate change can have on the global population.
Y5/6 (B): Lesson 5: How is population impacting our environment?: Data collection
- To collect data showing how population impacts the amount of traffic and litter in an area.
Y5/6 (B): Lesson 6: How is population impacting our environment?: Findings
- To write a report on the fieldwork process, analyse findings and make suggestions to improve a situation.
Key knowledge
Related content
Unit resources

Knowledge organiser: Geography – Y6 Why does population change?
Aimed at pupils, a single page which gives key facts and definitions from the unit "Why does population change?".

Vocabulary display: Why does population change?
A display version of the vocabulary from the unit 'Why does population change?'
Cross-curricular opportunities
Mathematics: Statistics, number
English: Spoken language, writing
British values: Mutual respect, tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs, individual liberty, democracy
History
Physical education
Computing