Population growth

This activity provides a quick, engaging introduction to a lesson, focusing on the link between sewage and the underground tunnel system. It encourages students to think about the role of engineers in providing us with healthy sanitation and waste-water disposal systems.

This is one of a set of resources developed to aid the teaching of the secondary national curriculum, particularly KS3, supporting the teaching in science, geography, engineering or design and technology (DT).

Activity: Discussing how engineering can support urban growth

Students will investigate sewage tunnels that are being built under London by first watching our Shifting sewage film.

Students will then consider how society has changed over time, to identify the influences that have resulted in the needs for the new tunnel.

Download our activity overview for a detailed lesson plan on the engineering challenges that come with population growth.

The engineering context

As cities like London grow, the need for expanded sanitation systems need to be considered for the removal of urban waste. This can present logistical challenges as there will often be an existing waste tunnel system, along with transport networks such as the London underground, causing complexity. Engineers will therefore need to carefully consider several factors for new engineering projects that support population growth including geology, environmental impact, available technology, local disruption (and the political considerations that come with that) along with the existing infrastructure.

Suggested learning outcomes

By the end of the lesson students will appreciate the issues around developing new tunnel systems in their location.

Download our activity sheet and other teaching resources

The activity sheet includes teachers’ notes, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download (including video clips), and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.

Download our classroom lesson plan and presentation below.

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