Activity: Ratios of a miniature Earth

Teacher content information:

Approximately 7 billion people live in the world today. The world population increases by about 203,000 people every day. All of these people need resources in order to survive such as food, clean air, clean water and shelter. Some people are consuming more resources than others and this is placing a strain on our planet's ability to provide for us. It’s estimated that humans will consume more in the next 40 years than we have since we first stood on two legs. A big issue is not just consumption itself but the inequality of people receiving these resources and the impacts on our environment.

The richest people on our planet make up 20% of the population, but they account for 77% of the consumption of resources. The poorest 20% account for just 1% of resource consumption. Given that 14% of the world's population is going hungry there is an imbalance that occurs between these two groups. The poorest countries are the places where the biggest population boom

Thought Starter: What resources do we need to survive?

As a class watch the video Miniature Earth Project from Before The Cross on Vimeo.

Miniature Earth Project from Before The Cross on Vimeo.

Imagine if the world was reduced to the equivalent of just one village of a 100 people with all the existing human ratios remaining the same. Using Table 1 below to estimate the number of people in each of the groups. For example, how many people in the village would be malnourished? Have internet? Have a computer? 

Groups of people	Estimated ratio	Actual ratio
Malnourished or hungry
Asian
African
Muslim
Disabled
Without clean water
Who can't read
Have a computer
Have the internet
Without basic sanitation

 2. Express the following groups of people as a ratio, then simplify:

a. Those that can’t read to those that can:
 

b. Without basic sanitation to people who have basic sanitati