CBC Archives

Ensure students understand the term “demographics.” Have them look up the word and, together, discuss its meaning. You might also offer this definition: statistical data, such as average age, income, and education, about a population.

Explain that Canada is made up of millions of unique individuals, but demographers often divide, or segment, the population into groups of individuals with certain characteristics in common, for example, grouping by age, income, geographic location, and so on. Demographic information is very precise and is the easiest type of information to gather. Demographers often assign names to groups of people born over a specific time period.

Distribute the download sheet Demographic Groups in Canada and review the groups.

Have students visit the topic Generation X: Lives on Hold on the CBC Digital Archives website. Have them view the clips Gen X vs. the Boomers, Boom, bust and echo, and Move over, X. Here come the 'global teens' and complete the questions at the bottom of the download sheet.

Ask students to share their impressions and responses with respect to demographics and employment, as well as demographics and marketing. Ask: What future employment opportunities do you think there are for your generation? What products and services do you think each demographic group needs today?

Students can choose an adult family member, identify that person’s demographic group, and interview the person about employment opportunities for various demographic groups. For example, does the family member feel she had good employment prospects when she graduated from high school? From post-secondary education, if relevant? Have things changed? Students can report their findings to the class, and compare and contrast these findings with those they gathered from viewing the clips.