Global Life Expectancy

Time for a happy class starter!

How much has global life expectancy changed over the past 300 years?

1. How accurate was your prediction?

2. What is most surprising about this information?

3. What story doe this chart tell?

4. What are three causes of this change in life expectancy?

5. What are two consequences of the change in life expectancy?

6. Is this all good news?

7. On average, how long did your great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great (you get the drift-I'm taking you back to 1322) grandparents live?

8. How different do you think this chart will look in 100 more years? in 1000?

9. Imagine you were the president of the United States of America. In the comments section, list the one policy you could implement that would do the most to increase life expectancy across the globe.

10. Like many people, I’m scared about the COVID-19 outbreak. But looking at the big picture, we’ve survived even worse pandemics, wars, and famines. When this pandemic ends (and it will) what will happen to life expectancy?

11. When this pandemic ends (and it will) what will it be like when life gets back to normal?

Learning Extension

Our World in Data has tons of great data about life expectancy and the COVID-19 Outbreak.

Action Extension

Wash your hands and don’t be racist and xenophobic.

 

Bonus Image

Did you know that pictures of cute baby animals (is there any other kind?) make you happier and live longer? Try this one on for size?

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Me llamo Horace.