Human Population Through Time
Provided by: American Museum of Natural History|Published on: April 27, 2021|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 6-AP
Type: Videos
Subjects: Science, History, Geography
Authors: American Museum of Natural History
Location: Earth
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This video provides an animated map of human population growth and settlement locations throughout human history.
- It provides numerous historical references as the map continues to add one dot for every 1 million people added to the planet and it provides estimates for the future size of the human population.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The facts are presented clearly and the music in the background is captivating.
- Students get a very clear picture of how quickly human population growth increased over the last 200 years and the locations where our population is the most dense.
Additional Prerequisites
- There may be an advertisement at the beginning of the video.
- The teacher may want to download the video from the link provided to show offline.
Differentiation
- This resource could be used in a lesson that focuses on world history, human civilizations, population dynamics, sustainability, or biodiversity loss.
- Science and biology classes could use this video as an example of exponential growth and relate it to lessons about ecosystems and the natural factors that keep populations from growing exponentially.
- Other recommended resources include Globalization and the Environment, this video about empowering women, and this interactive table of climate solutions.
The resource provides the history of human population growth and expansion from AD 1 - 2016. It is insightful to enable students to predict population growth or decline for 2100. The facts presented are accurate and this is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
