Download development indicators webquest

Development Indicators Web Quest
"Development" is a term that describes how well a country meets the needs of its people in terms of their standard of living* and
quality of life.
The United Nations divides all nations into one of three categories: "developed countries" "developing countries" and "newly
industrialized countries"
*Standard of living" means “material wealth” or the quality and quantity of goods and services available to people/. Mobile
phones and the number of hospital beds would be an example.
"Quality of life" means how happy an individual, or group of people is. It can include things such as health and diet,
and feelings such as stress or happiness. Unlike standard of living, quality of life, especially where feelings are concerned, cannot
be measured directly.
Developed countries have become very wealthy and usually depend on service industries. The standard of living is generally high
in these countries. Developing countries by contrast are relatively poor, depending on farming and the extraction of natural
resources for much of their income. Wealth is measured by gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, in other words, the income
earned in one year, divided by the population.
You will start the Web Quest by looking at a selection of development indicators to identify countries with the highest and lowest
figures. You should be able to work out why death rate is usually a poor way to measure the differences between countries.
Secondly, you will examine two countries, Botswana and Thailand, to find out why it is best not to rely on a single indicator such
as GDP per capita. You should be able to explain why the Human Development Index offers a better way of measuring
development.
To appreciate the difference between standard of living and quality of life, you will compare data from the USA and Cuba.
Step 1: What makes the ideal country in which to live?
1. Looking at the Quality of Life link, identify 5 topics that are used to create the Better Life Index, Which topics do you
consider to be important to you when choosing a place to live? Which topics do you consider to be the least important to
you?
2.
Have a look at this list of countries ranked by Quality of Life. Which country would you most prefer to live in? What
topics do they score high on? Are there any topics that the country scores low?
Step 2: Comparing Development indicators
How can we measure differences in development? Examine the list of Development Indicators below compiled by the Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) and identify the indicators for the United States below and how does it rank among other nations.
GDP per capita (annual income in $US divided by the population)
Birth rate (How many babies are born per 1,000 people per year in the U.S.?)
Death rate (How many people die per 1,000 people per year in the U.S.?)
Life expectancy at birth (how long an average person will live in the U.S.?)
1.
Use the data to identify the countries with the highest and lowest GDP per capita.
2.
Identify the 5 top countries with the highest birth rate? Which continent are they from? Why do you think this is so?
3.
Germany (11.29) has a much higher death rate than India (7.35). Does this mean that India is therefore the more
developed of the two nations? How can Germany’s higher death rate be explained? Hint – think about the relative
number of old people in Germany and India. This article from the BBC might be helpful.
4.
What is the difference in life expectancy between Japan and Chad? Do you think the Quality of Life is different between
the two?
Step 3: The limitations of using a single measure of development: a comparison of Botswana and Thailand.
1.
Use the CIA Factbook’s list of countries by GDP per capita to find the figures for Botswana and Thailand. In which
country would you expect the highest standard of living?
2.
Now compare the two countries in terms of life expectancy at birth. Which country has the highest quality of life?
3.
Find out how the Human Development Index (HDI) is calculated using this page. What are the three indicators that are
used?
4.
According to the HDI, HDI Index Table which countries are the most developed? Which are the least developed?
5.
Why is the HDI a better indicator of development than GNP per capita?
Step 4: Different perceptions of quality of life: Comparing Cuba and the USA
Cuba has a comparatively low GNP per capita (ranked number 94) in comparison to the United States (number 10)
1.
Compare the life expectancy and literacy rate of the two countries. What do you notice?
2.
What does this tell you about Cuba’s development priorities? Is the government focused on raising standards of living or
quality of life?
3.
What is your view of Cuba’s development priorities? Do you feel that it more important for a government to focus on
raising quality of life or standard of living?
Step 5: The geography of Happiness – alternative ways to measure development
Recently, geographers have attempted to measure happiness, as an alternative to conventional development indicators. Have a
look at the BBC News article and the world happiness map based on subjective well-being
1.
Identify one happy, one average and one unhappy country from the world happiness map
2.
What are the problems with trying to map happiness for a whole country?
According to the BBC News article a recent survey found that 81% of the UK population thinks that the government should focus
on making people happier rather than wealthier. Do you agree with this result? Explain your answer.
Step 6: If it Were My Home
Choose any country in the world using this link If it Were My Home and compare it to the United States. If (your country choice)
were your home instead of The United States you would...
1.
Choose 5 categories and tell me how your country would be different from the United States. (example: more or less
likely to be employed)