Age Dependency Ratios: Numbers in Context
as part of its collaboration with the SERC Pedagogic Service.
Summary
In this writing assignment students are introduced to the concept of age dependency ratios. Students will first compute these ratios for the United States and interpret them by using them in informative sentences. Using future population estimates, students can recompute these ratios and reflect on possible consequences of the aging of the American population. The same ratios are computed for Ireland and for a Third World country providing relative context for the US numbers.
Learning Goals
- Students will reinforce computation skills related to ratios and percentages.
- Students will interpret numbers in context.
- Students will reflect on why certain numbers are computed and how social issues such as the "aging of America" can be quantified.
- Students will explore data sets on the internet.
- Students will use numbers to help compare first and third world countries.
Context for Use
Description and Teaching Materials
Teaching Notes and Tips
Assessment
I will grade each of the eleven questions for computational correctness and for ability to articulate the relevance of numbers in context. I will grade each question on a 9 point scale:
Meets all criteria at high level, clear and easy to follow: 9 8 7
Meets some criteria, some lapses in clarity or development: 6 5 4
Meets few criteria, unclear or undeveloped: 3 2 1 0