Represent: Why the Census Matters—in 2020 and Beyond
How This Teacher Brings Census Data to Life in the Classroom

How This Teacher Brings Census Data to Life in the Classroom

Steve Kahlfeldt wants his students to grasp how the census impacts them right now, not in some far-off future. For example, the data determines how ...
By Wendy McMahon
4 Reasons Why the Census Matters for All of Us [Infographic]

4 Reasons Why the Census Matters for All of Us [Infographic]

The census affects our lives in ways that many of us may not recognize—in school, at work and across our community. Given its implications for each ...
Educators, Take Note: The Census Is a Very Big Deal
Teaching and Learning

Educators, Take Note: The Census Is a Very Big Deal

An 1870 illustration in Harper’s Magazine shows a serious-looking man with a ledger balanced on bended knee. He writes furiously as a crowd of ...
By Rachel Burstein

The census affects our lives in ways that many of us may not recognize—in school, at work and across our community. Given its implications for each member of our society, an accurate count on the decennial census is imperative.

See how this count may impact your life, and learn why it’s so essential to have full participation in the 2020 census.

4 Reasons Why the Census Matters for All of Us [Infographic]

Click here to view and download the full infographic.

1. Select A Grade

K-4
5-8
9-12

2. Select A Learning Objective

Diversity
U.S. Government

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Languages at Home

Students will learn about the differences among students in a classroom, focusing on students’ homes and the languages spoken in their homes. To help students understand how communities thrive with a broad diversity of residents, this worksheet focuses on simple data points that show the different languages spoken at home across the country.

Head over to U.S. Census Bureau to browse dozens of other lesson plans.

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Apportionment

Students will learn how changes in population across cities and states affect how their community is represented in the U.S. House of Representatives and why an accurate count of the population is essential every 10 years. Students will examine the results from the 2000 Census and the 2010 Census and use that information to predict the results of the 2020 Census in their state.

Head over to U.S. Census Bureau to browse dozens of other lesson plans.

2. Select A Learning Objective

Diversity
U.S. Government

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Census Questions Over Time

Students will analyze historical data on race and ethnicity in the United States over time. Students will note trends around race and ethnicity by looking at data from 2000 and 2010, highlighting the broad diversity of people who live in the United States today. Students will learn why it is important that the U.S. Census Bureau collect this data.

Head over to U.S. Census Bureau to browse dozens of other lesson plans.

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Constitution Day

Students will learn the significance of the U.S. Constitution and Constitution Day, with a focus on how the census is called for in the Constitution and why it is conducted every 10 years.

Head over to U.S. Census Bureau to browse dozens of other lesson plans.

2. Select A Learning Objective

Diversity
U.S. Government

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Minority Entrepreneurship and the Economy

This worksheet will foster a discussion on diversity of race, ethnicity, sex, and veteran status through the lens of entrepreneurship. Students will examine minority-owned business growth over the past decade and how it has affected our nation.

Head over to U.S. Census Bureau to browse dozens of other lesson plans.

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Reapportionment

Students will learn about the decennial census and its impact on their communities. Using past data, students will predict population changes from the 2010 Census to 2020. Then students will reallocate seats in the U.S. House of Representatives based on the predicted changes.

Head over to U.S. Census Bureau to browse dozens of other lesson plans.
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