The U.S. Census Bureau and its Statistics in Schools (SIS) program offer a number of tools that students can use to access data. Students can find city- or state-specific information about their birthplace, current place of residence, or ideal future hometown, for example. Using these tools, students and teachers can see data on housing,…

Geography is central to the work of the Census Bureau, providing the framework for survey design, sample selection, data collection, tabulation, and dissemination. Geography provides meaning and context to statistical data. To gain a better understanding of population changes within geographic areas, the lesson presented in this article will focus…

"Place" is a central concept in geography. Geographers focus considerable attention on describing and understanding the nature of places and variations from one place to another. The collection of data and the measurement and analysis of the characteristics of a place requires that its boundaries are defined. How and where we draw…

Using current and historical data, the U.S. Census Bureau offers geography teachers activities with resources to use in the classroom. The activities are aligned to the National Geography Standards (2012) and provide real-world data examples while teaching concepts such as environmental changes and population changes. In a geography activity for…

Historians have long appreciated the value of the U.S. Census as a source of statistical data for studying nineteenth- and twentieth-century American history. However, in ways that many other primary source documents do not, the census reflects and addresses social, political, and economic issues on national, state, and community levels…

The U.S. Census is a geography teacher's toolbox. As a member of the Statistics in Schools (SIS) development team, Chris Bunin was tasked with exploring existing resources to develop lesson plans. Census.gov is a dynamic online reservoir filled with infographics and visualizations, articles and reports, and best practice instructional materials.…

This workbook contains exercises for use with college students to teach them about the use of census data and to help them acquire census related skills. The workbook supplements "Census '80: Continuing the Factfinder Tradition," an undergraduate textbook published in early 1980. The volume is divided into two parts. The first provides…

These lessons are based on U.S. Census 2000 results, focusing on changes in the United States during the 1990s. Students construct choropleth (thematic) maps, analyze information from tables and maps, discuss the impact of the Census 2000 apportionment counts on their state and the United States, and calculate population totals. Lessons include…

The objectives of this learning activity, which compares students' estimates for selected death rates with government census figures, are to orient college students to sociology's methods and content and to increase their comprehension of their first reading assignment on Durkheim's study of suicide. (Author/RM)

Presented is a teaching unit which acquaints students with the once-in-a-decade U.S. census. Included are ideas for activities which demonstrate how the census is crucial to the workings of a democracy. (KC)

Describes three census activities concerning birds and butterflies that involve students in the actual collection of biological data. A Project Feederwatch data form is also included. (ZWH)

A description of the geographic planning and operation of the 1990 U.S. Census presented in cartoon form, this booklet carries the user through the stages of the development of the materials needed for census field enumeration activities. Maps were drawn for address reference files, and geographic reference files were created. These cartoons…

This lesson plan is designed for use by vocational agricultural instructors and students. Its primary purpose is to acquaint students with statistical data that will have an impact on their future work in agriculture. This lesson plan is divided into two parts. The first part covers background information on the agricultural census, its use, and…

The United States Census Bureau's mission is to be the preeminent collector and provider of timely, relevant, and quality data about the nation's people and economy. The Census 2000 teaching guide (grades K-4) aims to help teachers bring the census to life for students. The guide outlines skills that correlate with national standards; fulfills…

The United States Census Bureau's mission is to be the preeminent collector and provider of timely, relevant, and quality data about the nation's people and economy. The Census 2000 teaching guide (grades 9-12) aims to help teachers bring the census to life for students. The guide teaches skills that correlate with national standards; fulfills…