From Life Expectancy to Literacy: Understanding Economic Development

From Life Expectancy to Literacy: Understanding Economic Development

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to describe different levels of economic development using indicators such as life expectancy, GDP, GDP per capita, and literacy.

Introduce the topic of economic development and explain the importance of understanding the factors that determine it.

What do you already know about the factors that determine the economic development of a society?

What is Economic Development?

Economic development refers to the process by which a country improves the economic, political, and social well-being of its people.

Define economic development and provide examples of countries that have gone through the process.

Life Expectancy

Life expectancy is the average number of years a person is expected to live in a particular country.

Explain how life expectancy is a key indicator of economic development and provide examples of countries with high and low life expectancies.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

GDP is the total value of goods and services produced in a country in a year.

Explain how GDP is a measure of a country's economic output and provide examples of countries with high and low GDP.

GDP Per Capita

GDP per capita is the GDP of a country divided by its population.

Explain how GDP per capita is a measure of a country's economic productivity and provide examples of countries with high and low GDP per capita.

Literacy

Literacy is the ability to read and write.

Explain how literacy is a key indicator of a country's human development and provide examples of countries with high and low literacy rates.

Indicators of Economic Development

Life expectancy, GDP, GDP per capita, and literacy are all indicators of a country's level of economic development.

Summarize the indicators of economic development and explain how they are used to compare different countries.

High-Income Countries

High-income countries are those with a GDP per capita of $12,376 or more.

Explain what defines a high-income country and provide examples.

Upper-Middle-Income Countries

Upper-middle-income countries are those with a GDP per capita between $4,046 and $12,375.

Explain what defines an upper-middle-income country and provide examples.

Lower-Middle-Income Countries

Lower-middle-income countries are those with a GDP per capita between $1,036 and $4,045.

Explain what defines a lower-middle-income country and provide examples.

Low-Income Countries

Low-income countries are those with a GDP per capita of $1,035 or less.

Explain what defines a low-income country and provide examples.

Life Expectancy by Income Level

Life expectancy generally increases as income level increases.

Show graphs or tables that illustrate the relationship between income level and life expectancy.

GDP by Income Level

GDP generally increases as income level increases.

Show graphs or tables that illustrate the relationship between income level and GDP.

GDP Per Capita by Income Level

GDP per capita generally increases as income level increases.

Show graphs or tables that illustrate the relationship between income level and GDP per capita.

Literacy by Income Level

Literacy generally increases as income level increases.

Show graphs or tables that illustrate the relationship between income level and literacy.

Comparing Countries

By comparing a country's indicators of economic development to those of other countries, we can gain a better understanding of where it stands in terms of economic development.

Explain the importance of comparing countries and provide examples of how to do so.

Real-World Examples

Use real-world examples to illustrate the concepts of economic development and its indicators.

Provide examples of countries that have gone through the process of economic development and explain how their indicators have changed over time.

Review

Review the indicators of economic development and their relationship to income level.

Summarize the key points of the lesson and ask students to recall what they have learned.

Assessment

Assess students' understanding of the concepts covered in the lesson.

Provide an assessment that requires students to apply their knowledge of economic development and its indicators.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.