With the 2016 presidential election right around the corner, geography provides a dynamic view of the spatial patterns and processes that shape the electorate. The major presidential campaigns know that a winning strategy must use geography to make informed decisions about where to allocate limited resources such as money and staff. In the end,…

In the contemporary context, demands for rapid school turnaround meet the reality of increased principal turnover. Therefore, it is crucial to help aspiring school leaders hone their problem-solving skills. This case provides readers with an opportunity to diagnose issues of concern at a struggling school, and then prescribe several initial…

Describes a college demography course which teaches demography as an analytic discipline, stressing demographic concepts, data interpretation, and evaluation skills. Five course goals are specified and instructional techniques and exercises used in the course are presented. (JDH)

Maintains that the "python analogy," often used to help students understand the negative societal impact of unusually small or large age cohorts, is better replaced by the social tunnel analogy, which is diagramed and illustrated with reference to the educational problems experienced in the United States as a result of the World War II baby boom.…

Describes course objectives and procedures used to teach college undergraduates to use a statistical package to explore large-scale computer-based demographic databases. (JDH)

Presents a class exercise called "Find Yourself in the Census and Vital Statistics Project," in which students compete for course grade point rewards by locating themselves in the birth, migration, morbidity, marriage, divorce, and education statistics. (JDH)

Interpreting statistical data from the past is difficult. Because of dissimilarities between past and present, numbers are often difficult to compare. Discusses how teachers can use ratios to convert population statistics to equivalent values so that a comparison can be made. (RM)

Discusses alterations in geography instruction which must be made to meet changes in the student population. Describes areas of growth in geography education and specific teaching methods. (AEM)

Describes the structure and content of a college course devoted to developing and understanding international demography. Provided are a course outline, brief descriptions of the geographic areas treated, suggested student projects, and textbook recommendations. (JDH)

Defines applied demography and examines the training needs of applied demography students. Describes required topics, course structure, and available teaching resources. (Author/JDH)

Describes the development of an applied demography course designed to attract older part-time students. Illustrates students' work in the course with three brief case studies. (JDH)

Uses real data as a catalyst to explore mathematics. Presents two mathematics activities based on real data, one on earthquakes and the other on demographic data. Discusses the implications of these activities in calculus classes. (ASK)

States that one of the major challenges in teaching an introductory sociology course is to find activities that involve students in the research process, illustrate important sociological concepts, and maintain students' interest. Provides a three-part assignment on the birth rate which accomplishes these three goals. Includes copies of handouts…

Traces the history of the development of cities in South Africa, paying special attention to the development of urban social controls. Three eras are identified: (1) mercantilism, (2) imperialism, and (3) apartheid. Concludes that enormous human costs are entailed by these attempts at social engineering. (JDH)

Describes an activity for college geography classes in which students study demographic transitions and spatial patterns which provide a clear understanding of what modernization implies in Middle and South America. Students make maps, construct scattergrams, and analyze birth rates, gross national products, and infant mortality rates in 19…