All Activities
Geography

Development Spectrum

Overview

Students explore what development means and why it varies.

Learning Objective
Students understand that countries have different levels of development.

Resources needed

  • None

Lesson stages

0 / 7 done
  1. 1 Ask students what makes a country developed.
  2. 2 List ideas (schools, hospitals, clean water, income).
  3. 3 Name a range of countries.
  4. 4 Students order them from least to most developed.
  5. 5 Discuss what evidence they used.
  6. 6 Introduce the idea that development is complex and multi-dimensional.
  7. 7 Discuss what could help less developed countries.

Tap a step to mark it as done.

Variations

  • Use basic statistics — life expectancy, literacy — as ranking criteria.
  • Discuss why rankings are controversial.
More information

Teach development, GDP, life expectancy, literacy, inequality.

Use just two contrasting examples.

Can students name two indicators of development and explain why one country might be more developed than another?

Discussion only. No materials needed.

Students often equate development only with wealth. Introduce health, education, and wellbeing as equally important measures.

Key concept in human geography. Links to global issues and the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.

Activity details
Secondary Medium 20 minutes no prep Whole Class Indoor & Outdoor
Topics
Development Global Inequality