Oklahoma Academic Standard 3. The student will identify the characteristics, distribution, and demographic patterns of human populations and systems of the Western Hemisphere. 

Objective 6.3.10  Identify the common characteristics of developed and developing countries, including the impact of education and technology; analyze data used by geographers such as literacy rate, life expectancy,  per capita income, and infant mortality.

In a Nutshell

Nations exhibit multiple indicators for development. Students should be aware that these indicators reflect the economic health of a nation in varying ways. For example, levels of development influence elements of every-day life, such as the availability of education and technology. In turn, education and technology influence levels of economic development. The analysis of such data will allow students to diagnose the needs of a nation and be able to analyze proposed policies to address such needs.

Teacher Action 

Student Action 

• Assist students in evaluating the influence of  government systems, technology advancements, and trade on the standard of living and economic independence of a society.

• Provide opportunities for students to describe alternative solutions to current economic issues in terms of benefits and costs for different groups.

• Guide student investigations and proposed answers to essential questions representing enduring issues, such as “What role should a government play in a nation’s economy?” 

• Analyze, interpret, and compare economic and demographic data from multiple charts and graphs to demonstrate differences between developed and developing economies.

• Explain the influences of multiple environmental factors on historical events and current situations, which provide both opportunities and limitations on human development. 

Key Concepts 

Misconceptions 

• characteristics of developed nations, including high per capita income, low incidence of poverty, high standard of living, narrow income inequalities, low growth rate of population, low level of unemployment. infrastructural capabilities, stable government institutions, high use of technology, high levels of industrial capability, high percentage employed in tertiary economic activities

• characteristics of developing nations, including low per capita real income, high population growth rate and/or dense population, high rates of unemployment, dependence on primary sectors of the economy, dependence on export of primary commodities, lower life expectancy, less access to medical care and educational opportunities

• visual representations of characteristics of developed versus developing nations, such a cartograms and thematic maps

• Many students have limited prior understandings regarding classifications of the world's nations into broad categories, known as developed and developing nations and are tempted to view such categories as distinct, as opposed to being a graduated scale. 

Instructional Resources