Despite wars, natural disasters, fears of epidemics and pandemics, and other catastrophic events that are vividly featured in media outlets, the world's population continues to rise. In fact, the world recently passed another demographic milestone: a human population of 7 billion people. The number of people on Earth has tripled since around 1930, and by 2045 it is estimated that there will be 9 billion people inhabiting the planet. Factors that have improved living conditions worldwide have also contributed to the rapid growth of the world's population, including effective healthcare (both preventive and treatment), the green revolution (combination of high yield seeds, irrigation, pesticides, and fertilizers that produce an abundance of grains), better access to clean water, and improved waste water disposal technologies and policies. Although the population explosion has multiple implications, this article focuses on what it means for elementary teachers, and it provides ideas for addressing the topic of population (in terms of both its growth and characteristics) in the curriculum. (Contains 8 notes.)