Population Control Project
in conjunction with the novel AMONG THE HIDDEN by Margaret Peterson Haddix
INTRODUCTON:
Is it possible for laws to exist so that the idea of shadow children becomes
a reality? Is it possible that this reality could make the idea of Population
Police a reality as well? Is the United States in danger of becoming over-
populated? If you had the choice between creating or supporting such a law,or
not, would you? Perhaps you’ve thought of these questions while reading AMONG
THE HIDDEN, and perhaps you’ve thought of China, where there are population
laws. This project will allow you to complete some research, take a stand,
and then present your findings.
YOUR TASK:
The President has formed a committee to discover the realities of a
population situation in the United States. It will be important to take a
look at both sides of this debate before forming an opinion. This includes
looking at facts and data from other countries, as well as learning about the
history and current thoughts on this issue. Based on those findings, the
president and the committee will make a recommendation as to any laws that
need to be created. You have been asked to be a member of a research team to
provide information and a recommendation to the President.
Please form a group, your research team, of 3 or 4 members. It will be
easiest if your team already sits close together in the Computer Lab, but
adjustments can certainly be made. You may want to consider creating a name
for your team.
Divide the “baseline research” questions below among you. Answer the
questions in a Word document. Be sure to copy and paste the questions (for
clarity) and then answer the questions completely in your own words. If
charts and graphs will effectively communicate the information, please use
them. You will use this Word document to share the information you learned
with your research team. You are welcome to store any documents in the
Student Dropbox in a folder with your team’s name on it. I’ll show you.
Then come back together as a research team and use your Word documents to
share information about your findings. Based on that research, decide
whether your group believes that population control in the United States is
necessary or not. You will have to agree as a group, so use your skills of
persuasion and compromise to reach a consensus.
Your next step will be to prepare to present your proposal
• for a law
• or to explain why there should not be a law of this type.
Your presentation should include your stand, as well as information to
support it. You will be presenting this to President Kurzhals and the rest of
the committee members (the rest of your class).
You will be actually presenting these projects in class in a “meeting”
atmosphere, so keep that in mind. You are welcome to use any of the
technology you have at your disposal in the Lab for your presentation,
including:
• Word
• Publisher
• PowerPoint
• Excel
• Notebook (SMARTBoard software)
• Digital camera
Divide up the work and the responsibilities, and be sure you leave time to
rehearse—you want this presentation to flow, as that will look good on you
and will definitely help the President make an informed decision.
Your presentation must include:
1. A clear statement of your position
2. Three facts to support your position
3. A quote from a reliable source to support your position
4. At least one picture or graph
5. Text appropriate for people your age
a. Carefully written prose
b. Neat and orderly presentation
c. Work that is not “lifted” from a website
6. Participation by all members of your research team
Here’s a suggested timeline:
February 7 Organize team; divide up work; begin research
February 10 Research
February 14 Research team meeting; determine team stand; begin planning
presentation
February 17 Work on presentation
February 20 Work on individual parts of presentation
February 24 Continue to work on presentation
February 28 Complete presentation; rehearse
These are not hard and fast deadlines, but the bottom line is, you must be
finished by February 28 so presentations can begin in front of President
Kurzhals on February 29. Please continue to communicate with me, however; if
you are working hard and need more time, we can make that happen.
Good luck. Happy researching. Learn a lot.
Baseline Research
1. Thomas Robert Malthus provided the world with a theory
about population growth. When did he live? What was his job?
Explain his theory, including some of the core principals. Does
this theory still have followers today?
http://desip.igc.org/malthus/principles.html
2. Define population density. How is it calculated? What
other factors are involved in calculating population density? How
do the continents measure up in terms of population density—
meaning, which is most dense? Least?
http://geography.about.com/od/populationgeography/a/popdensity.htm
3. Briefly explain China’s family planning policy. Include
the problems China could or is facing due to over population.
Include information about rural and urban families, about the
history of the policy and what the policy actually states. Feel
free to report on population as a global issue and anything else
interesting information that you think the President might find
helpful and valuable.
http://www.medizin-ethik.ch/publik/family_planning.htm
4. Opponents of population control laws: What does Pope
Benedict XVI have to say about population control laws? George
Weigel is a Catholic theologian. What is his opinion? Who is
Norman Borlaug? What does he have to say about population control
laws? Are there other arguments you could make about why
population control laws would not be a good idea in the US?
http://www.lifenews.com/2008/12/10/int-1026/
http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/archive/ldn/2008/dec/08121202
http://catholiceducation.org/articles/population/pc0025.html
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/population/pc0045.htm
For when you finish early. . .
______________________________________________________________
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Check out Religion Quizzes here.
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