The self-study unit for intermediate grades deals with growth and distribution of the black population of the United States. The unit shows how and why the black population started from a rural southern base and became a largely urban population, compares the black people of two cities, one northern and one southern, and discusses how they are similar and how they are different. The major objectives are to improve skills in using graphics and to teach about population growth. The teaching method used is the Forced Inferential Response Mode (FIRM). The students are presented with data through maps, graphs, tables, pictures, and brief paragraphs. Using this information, they complete given statements with a word, several words, or several statements, check the accuracy of their response in the response booklet which accompanies the unit, and then read the corrected essay. The unit is divided into the following three sections: (1) Map and Graph Skills; (2) Geographic and Demographic Concepts as Applied to the Black Population in the United States; and (3) Geographic and Demographic Concepts as Applied to Urban Environments -- Case Studies: Savannah, Georgia and New Haven, Connecticut. A glossary of terms is also included. (Author/RM)