Japan - Ageing Population

READY TO TEACH (LESSON 3/11 - JAPAN: AGEING POPULATION).

Show pupils a range of images, all are linked to the same country (slides 1-10). Pupils are to raise their hand when they think they know the country, no shouting out. Recap with the class how diverse the country of Japan is (slide 11).

Introduce the focus of today’s lesson, with a link to Japan’s future conveyed in a population pyramid (a reference to last lesson). Ask pupils to compare what is different between the population pyramids of 1960 and 2050 - link their ideas to the fact Japan’s population is rapidly growing old. Reinforce this point with the horizontal bar graph (slide 13).

Show pupils the clip discussing the world’s ageing population. Pupils make a note of the definition - ageing population (slide 15). Discuss the cartogram map on slide 16 - identify where the world’s ageing population is located, make reference to Europe, contrast with the continent of Africa. Show clip discussing Japan’s ageing population. Discuss with pupils the current and future statistics about Japan’s population (slide 17).

Discuss with pupils the causal factors for an ageing population (slide 18). Pupils can make their own notes in their books. Analyse the choropleth maps (slide 19). Pupils suggest problems with an ageing population. Link the ideas to the task, pupils rearrange the statements under the following headings: problems of an ageing population and solutions to an ageing population. This can be completed in a card sort format, or written directly from the slide into books. Recap statements (slide 20).

To conclude the lesson, discuss with pupils how Japan must address some of these solutions in the future, if they want to tackle the problems created by an ageing population. If time permitting, show the clip discussing ROBEAR - the experimental nursing care robot - is this the solution?

Pupils’ homework task is to answer questions based upon the podcast: Japan - New ways to grow old, for self-assessment next lesson.