Smaller, Happier, Harmonious Families: China S One Child Policy

Smaller, Happier, Harmonious Families: China’s One Child Policy Students learn basic demographic concepts of China’s population policy through population graphs and guided notes.

Author Jeannine Kuropatkin Grade Level 6-8 Duration 3 class periods National Arizona Geography Arizona Math Standard Geography Strand 4 Standards ELEMENT ONE: CONCEPT 1 STRAND 2 Data Analysis, Probability and Discrete THE WORLD IN World in Spatial Terms Math SPATIAL TERMS: CONCEPT 1: Data Analysis (Statistics) 3. How to analyze the GRADE 6, 7, and 8 GRADE 6 spatial organization of PO 1 Construct maps, PO 3: Interpret simple displays of data including double people, places, and charts and graphs to bar graphs, tally charts, frequency tables, circle graphs, environments on Earth’s display geographic and line graphs. surface. information PO 4: Answer questions based on simple displays of PO 3 Interpret maps, data including double bar graphs, tally charts, frequency ELEMENT FOUR: tables, circle graphs, and line graphs. HUMAN SYSTEMS: charts and geographic PO 6: Identify a trend (variable increasing, decreasing, 9. The characteristics, databases using remaining constant) from displayed data. distribution, and geographic information. GRADE 7 migration of human CONCEPT 4 Human PO 4: Interpret data displays including histograms, population on Earth’s Systems stem-and-leaf plots, circle graphs, and double line surface. graphs. GRADE 7 PO 5: Answer questions based on data displays ELEMENT SIX: THE PO 1 Discuss the including histograms, stem-and-leaf plots, circle graphs, USES OF implications of the and double line graphs. GEOGRAPHY: demographic structure of PO 7: Interpret trends from displayed data. 18. How to apply places and regions PO 8: Compare trends in data related to the same geography to interpret investigation. the present and plan for CONCEPT 6 PO 9: Solve contextual problems using histograms, line the future. GRADE 7 and 8 graphs of continuous data, double bar graphs, and stem- Geographic Applications and-leaf plots. PO 3 Use geographic GRADE 8 knowledge and skills PO 7: Formulate reasonable predictions based on a given set of data. when discussing current PO 8: Compare trends in data related to the same events. investigation. PO 9: Solve contextual problems using scatter plots, box-and-whiskers plots, and double line graphs of continuous data.

Overview After decades of encouragement to have large When the People’s Republic of China (PRC) families, the government realized the harmful was founded in 1949, it had a population of 542 impact posed by unchecked population growth million. Despite the deaths of 30 million people on China’s resources and economic during the Great Leap Forward, the population development. In 1972, the government began a grew to an unprecedented 820 million by 1970. family planning campaign to restrict family size, China’s One Child Policy which evolved into the present day “One couple, 2. Write framed outline T-notes on China’s One one child” policy. Although the One Child Child Policy. Policy has achieved low levels of fertility, China’s population will increase by another 3. Interpret a population growth graph of China, 260-300 million people over the next three recognize population trends, and predict China’s decades. future pattern for population growth. Purpose Procedures This lesson is designed to help students assess Prerequisite Knowledge: Students should the demographic characteristics of China’s understand the terms developing and developed population growth, examine the demographic nations. history of the PRC and the evolution of its family planning policies, and predict the future SESSION ONE demographic profile for the People’s Republic 1. Ask students to brainstorm the following of China. question: What are the Top Five Most Populous Countries in the World? Generate a class list on Materials the board and ask students why certain countries . World Map were selected. Next, ask students if they know . General Reference Resources: Almanacs, what reference source to consult to find the gazetteers, or computers with Internet answer to this question. (An almanac, a access. gazetteer, online search engines for websites.) . Population Tables: “World’s Most Populous Have one or more of these reference sources Countries in 2003” – made into an overhead available for students to research the answer. transparency 2. Have students collectively share their . Student Notes: “China’s One Child Policy” research results. Record the country names and . Student Notes Answer Key: “China’s One population statistics on the board. Check student Child Policy” – made into an overhead research results against the Population transparency Reference Table: “World’s Most Populous . Student Worksheet: “Population growth, Countries in 2003” provided. Note that, in 2003, crude birth and death rates, 1949-1996” China ranked as number one in population with . Student Worksheet Answer Key: 1.29 billion people, followed closely by India “Population growth, crude birth and death with 1.07 billion people. rates, 1949-1996” – made into an overhead transparency 3. Have students locate China and India on a . Student Assessment: “China’s One Child world map or in an atlas and identify the Policy Assessment.” continent on which both countries are located . Student Assessment Answer Key: “China’s (Asia). Inform students that the two countries of One Child Policy Assessment.” China and India account for 38% of the world’s total population, and that China alone accounts Objectives for 22%. The student will be able to: 4. A concrete way to illustrate the magnitude of 1. Define key geographic vocabulary words China’s proportionate make-up of the world’s including: demography, census, family population follows. Since 22% is roughly planning, birth rate, death rate, growth rate, total equivalent to a fractional representation of 1/5th, fertility rate, and population momentum. tell students you will verbally count them off, one through five. Have every 5th student stand. Explain that if the classroom were a sample China’s One Child Policy representation of the earth’s population, the up to number one ranking?” (India - Explain standing students would represent the proportion that India does not have a one child policy.) of people who would be Chinese; that is, one out of every five persons! 9. Distribute the Student Notes. As the teacher explains the “Demography Basics” on page one, 5. Inform students that China and India are both students fill in the missing notes. The teacher classified as developing nations. Review that a should also display the Answer Key on an developing nation is one that is in the process of overhead projection system as well. Stop at the becoming industrialized, has an overall lower end of page 1 of the Student Notes. standard of living, and has an economy that depends more on agriculture and primary Note: It is critical to check for understanding on industries. In contrast, countries such as the the following two demographic concepts: United States and Japan are considered to be 1) “What is the difference between Birth Rate developed nations. and Growth Rate?” (BR is the number of people added to the population each year due to births. 6. Next, pose the following questions to initiate GR is the overall number of people added to, or class discussion: “Is it a “good” thing to be subtracted from, the population due to births, ranked Number One or Two in World deaths, and migration.) Population? How would a huge population 2) “What is the single most important factor in impact a country’s resources and economy? determining a country’s population growth?” Would a huge population affect a developing (TFR or Total Fertility Rate. If a country can nation differently than a developed nation?” accomplish a TFR of 2.1 or less, then its population growth will eventually stabilize, then 7. Explain to students that in the 1970s, the decrease.) government of China realized that unchecked 2) population growth would dramatically hurt its SESSION TWO citizens and that an immediate solution was 1. Pass out the Student Worksheet entitled: needed. The government came up with a family “Population growth, crude birth and death rates, planning system also known as the One Child 1949-1996.” Discuss graph reading basics with Policy. This policy is quite controversial. Many the students: Graph Title, Years on the x-axis, human rights organizations believe it poses a Total Population on the left Y-axis and Crude direct violation on people’s basic rights. They Birth and Death Rates on the right Y-axis, the also accuse Chinese officials of brutal methods legend, and “how to” read the lines on the of enforcement, including forced abortions, graph. Have students perform the worksheet sterilizations, female infanticide, beatings, activities. Note: Have students trace the slope razing of homes, jail sentences, and severe lines in contrasting colors. This will enable penalty fines. On the other hand, the Chinese easier visual identification of the proper slope government claims that the policy is a necessary lines for the various questions on the worksheet. duty to insure the present and future well being It would be best to stick to the colors used in the of its citizenry. answer key; that is, red for Total Population, green for Crude Birth Rate, and black for Crude 8. Show students the Population Reference Death Rate. Table: “World’s Most Populous Countries in 2050” and explain that most demographers 2. Project the Teacher Answer Key on the predict that if China can keep its population overhead. Go over the correct answers for the growth in check with the One Child Policy, then Student Worksheet: “Population growth, crude its population growth will begin to stabilize and birth and death rates, 1949-1996.” it will move down to number two by the year 3. Finish the Student Notes from Session One. 2050. Ask students, “Which country will move The teacher discusses “China’s Demographics: China’s One Child Policy A Brief History” on pages 2-4 of the Student 1949-1996” Graph for the country of India. Ask Notes, as students fill in the missing notes. students to compare India’s CBR, CDR, and Note: It is possible to teach an abbreviated form population growth trend with that of China’s, of this lesson by using only pages 1 and 4 of the paying particular attention to the time period Student Notes. Pages 2 and 3 go into a more in- after the late 1970’s, when the One Child Policy depth treatment of the historical evolution of the was implemented. For statistical data needed for PRC’s Family Planning Policies. constructing the graph, go to: http://indiahealth.info/ihipages/healthinfo/htmls 4. After completing the Student Notes, initiate heets/table-2.01.htm for CBR and CDR figures an open forum class discussion about the One and Child Policy. Allow for open debate regarding http://www.library.uu.nl/wesp/populstat/Asia/in the pros and cons posed by the policy. Have diac.htm for Population Growth figures. students predict if China will be able to stabilize its population in the near future. Ask students, Sources “Should the One Child Policy remain?”  Population Reference Bureau Website: http://www.prb.org – The lesson author based SESSION THREE the Population Tables: “World’s Most Populous Countries in 2003” from data taken from the 1. Give students the “China’s One Child Policy 2003 PRB World Population Data Sheet: Assessment” to evaluate mastery of the http://www.prb.org/pdf/WorldPopulationDS03_ demographic concepts illustrated by China’s Eng.pdf One Child Policy and the math skills involved in interpreting data and recognizing trends on a  International Institute for Applied Systems Population Graph. Analysis website: “Can China Feed Itself?” http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Research/LUC/ChinaFoo Assessment d/index_s.htm - The lesson author based the Mastery is considered as 80% or higher on the Student Worksheet graph entitled: “Population Teacher Created “China’s One Child Policy growth, crude birth and death rates, 1949-1996” Assessment.” on the Population Growth graph taken from: http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Research/LUC/ChinaFoo Students need to score at least 4 out of 5 d/data/pop/pop_10.htm Geography questions correct to show mastery on the Geography component of this lesson.  Stefan Landsberger's Chinese Propaganda Poster Pages website: Students need to score at least 4 out of 5 Math http://www.iisg.nl/~landsberger/ - to download questions correct to show mastery on the Math “Population Policy in the 1970’s” posters: component of this lesson. http://www.iisg.nl/~landsberger/pop1.html For “Population Policy - China 1986-88” posters: Extensions http://www.iisg.nl/~landsberger/pop.html For  Have students compare the Population “Fifth National Census – 2000” posters: Pyramids for China for the years 2000 and 2050. http://www.iisg.nl/~landsberger/rkpc.html Ask students to interpret how population Government posters found in the framed outline momentum is displayed in the double bar Student Notes came from this website. graphs. (Note: Population Pyramids for China are readily found on the US Census Bureau United States Census Bureau Website: International Data Base (IDB) link at: International Data Base (IDB) Summary http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idbpyr.html) Demographic Data for China  Have students construct their own http://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/ipc/idbsum? “Population growth, crude birth and death rates, cty=CH China’s One Child Policy

United Nations Population Fund Website:  An April 2000 report from U.S. Embassy http://www.unfpa.org/profile/china.cfm#top Beijing, “Family Planning Rules in the Xi ‘an, Shaanxi Region.” http://www.usembassy-  United Nations ESCAP (Economic and Social china.org.cn/sandt/xian-fp.htm Commission for Asia and the Pacific) Population Programme Databases Website:  An April 2000 report from U.S. Embassy http://www.unescap.org/pop/database/chinadata/ Beijing, “PRC Family Planning Rules In Rural intro.htm “Population and Family Planning in Henan County.” http://www.usembassy- China by Province” china.org.cn/sandt/shangcaipop.htm

 China Population Information and Research Center Website: http://www.cpirc.org.cn/eindex.htm Official government site for the CPIRC and the National Population and State Family Planning Commission of China.

 Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom website: http://www.chinese- embassy.org.uk/eng/32230.html “Family Planning in China” – Government Position Document

 China Internet Information Center Website: http://www.china.org.cn/english/index.htm. This is the authorized government portal site to China, translated in English. It is published under the auspices of the China International Publishing Group and the State Council Information Office in Beijing. Some of the links consulted for this lesson, include: http://www.china.org.cn/english/shuzi-en/en- shuzi/index.htm – “China: Facts and Figures 2002” http://www.china.org.cn/english/features/37208. htm China in Brief – Population and Ethnic Groups

 U.S. Committee for Refugees Website: http://www.refugees.org/world/articles/women_ rr99_8.htm – Worldwide Refugee Information, “China’s One Child Policy,” Sept. 1999.

 A January 1999 report from U.S. Embassy Beijing, “Quanzhou, Fujian – A Traveler’s Tale.” http://www.usembassy- china.org.cn/sandt/Quzhweb.htm