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Year 7

Population structure

I can interpret and analyse population pyramids.

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New
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Year 7

Population structure

I can interpret and analyse population pyramids.

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Share activities with pupils
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These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. A population pyramid shows the age and gender balance for a country.
  2. A wider base on a pyramid means that there is a high birth rate.
  3. The taller a pyramid is, the greater the life expectancy.
  4. Bulges in population pyramids show years where there was a baby boom.

Keywords

  • Population pyramid - a graphical representation of age and gender distribution in a population

  • Birth rate - the number of live births per 1000 people per year

  • Life expectancy - the average number of years a person is expected to live

Common misconception

All population pyramids are pyramid-shaped.

Population pyramids can have different shapes depending on demographic factors. Some may be more rectangular or even inverted, reflecting various population structures.


To help you plan your year 7 geography lesson on: Population structure, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Give students some figures and graph paper to draw their own population pyramids.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which area in the UK has a lower population density?
London
South-east England
Manchester
Correct answer: Scottish Highlands
Q2.
How can topography affect population density in the UK?
Flat areas attract fewer people
Mountains are more densely populated
Correct answer: Flat and fertile areas have higher population density
Topography has no effect on population distribution
Q3.
Which of these factors is commonly associated with higher population density?
Limited access to transportation
Harsh climate
Correct answer: Closeness to rivers and fertile land
Steep terrain
Q4.
What is internal migration?
Moving from one country to another
Correct answer: Moving from rural to urban areas within the same country
Moving for vacation purposes
Moving temporarily for work
Q5.
Which city in the UK has the largest population?
Birmingham
Manchester
Edinburgh
Correct answer: London
Q6.
Why do fewer people live in mountainous regions like the Scottish Highlands?
The climate is extremely hot
The flat terrain allows fewer settlements
Correct answer: Steep slopes and rocky soil make construction and farming difficult
Lack of water resources

Exit quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
What does the shape of a population pyramid with a wide base and narrow top typically indicate?
High birth rate and high life expectancy
Low birth rate and low life expectancy
Correct answer: High birth rate and high death rate
Low birth rate and high death rate
Q2.
In a population pyramid, what does a narrow base suggest about the country’s birth rate?
High birth rate
Correct answer: Low birth rate
High death rate
Low life expectancy
Q3.
Which axis on a population pyramid shows the age groups?
X-axis
Correct answer: Y-axis
Z-axis
The title axis
Q4.
What does a bulge in a specific age group on a population pyramid indicate?
Low birth rate
Correct answer: Increased population in that age group
Increased life expectancy
High death rate in that age group