US Department of Commerce
Apportionment: Grades 3-4
Apportionment is a big word for young pupils. Use a helpful cartoon video and worksheet with data set to help them understand how the census fuels representative democracy. After examining how the census determines the number of seats a...
US Department of Commerce
Featured Activity: City Planning With Census Data
What's more important ... an ice cream store or a police station? How about a school or a hospital? Using a simulation game, pupils allot resources as the federal government would based on the census. Discussion questions round out the...
US Department of Commerce
The Census Questionnaire: Then and Now
As the United States has changed, so has the census! While required by the Constitution, the questions the government asks to allot representation and federal funding has developed over time. Using images of previous censuses, young...
US Department of Commerce
The Opportunity Atlas
The American dream is to climb the social and economic ladder, but is it really possible? Using an online opportunity atlas, class members explore income and social mobility throughout the country. Discussion prompts allow learners to...
US Department of Commerce
Immigration Nation
People come and people go. Given tabular census data on the annual number of immigrants from four different regions of the world between 2000 and 2010, pupils create double bar graphs and line graphs from the data. They analyze their...
US Department of Commerce
Featured Activity: Let’s Get the Count Right
Don't leave anyone out. To highlight the importance of the US Census to younger learners, an activity has them distribute markers to see if there are enough for each person. They see that counting the population is necessary to fairly...
US Department of Commerce
Let's Count!
Counting objects is easy as one, two, three. Young mathematicians count objects in the classroom and create data tables to record their results. They then write comparison statements and answer questions about the data.
US Department of Commerce
The New Normal
Don't be normal ... be exceptional in understanding statistics. Pupils analyze six different sets of census data using histograms or normal probability plots to determine whether each data set fits a normal distribution. They then get...
US Department of Commerce
My Dream Home
Dream big or go home. After analyzing a bar graph on the number of bedrooms in US homes derived from census data, scholars design their own dream homes. They cut out two-dimensional shapes from construction paper to create models of...
US Department of Commerce
Comparing My State
How does your state compare? Using census data, scholars determine the total population and the number of 11-year-old boys and girls in two different states. They round and compare values, and then make up a question about the two states...
US Department of Commerce
The Place of My State
State the population of the state. Pupils research census data on the total population, the number of children their age, and the number of children of the same age and gender in their states. They write these numbers in standard,...
US Department of Commerce
Changes in My State
So much can change in seven years. Young statisticians choose three types of businesses, such as toy stores and amusement parks, and use census data to determine how the number of those businesses in their state changed between 2010 to...
US Department of Commerce
Educational Attainment and Marriage Age - Testing a Correlation Coefficient's Significance
Do women with college degrees get married later? Using a provided scatter plot of the percentage of women who earn bachelor's degrees and the median age at which women first get married over time, pupils conduct a linear regression...
US Department of Commerce
Exploring Sampling Variability - Higher Education Attainment Across The United States
More education in statistics is always beneficial. Given cards that provide the proportion of adults with bachelor's degrees in 10 random US states, scholars individually determine the sample percentage of states in which more than 30...
US Department of Commerce
Over the Hill - Aging on a Normal Curve
Nobody is too old to learn something new. Young statisticians analyze census data on the percentage of the population older than 65 years old in US counties. They fit a normal distribution to the data, determine the mean and standard...
US Department of Commerce
Using Fractions to Compare Amusements Parks By States
Amuse learners with a lesson on amusement parks and fractions. Using provided census data on the number of amusement parks in each state, third graders represent the fraction of states that fall within a certain range. They create a...
US Department of Commerce
Sample Means - Exploring Sampling Variability
Sample an excellent resource on sampling variability. Pupils analyze census data on the percentage of homes in each state that have Internet access. They take random samples of different sample sizes, determine the sample means, and then...
US Department of Commerce
Featured Activity: Exploring Questions for the 2020 Census
Just what is the census for? Using data and census questions, class members explore how officials gather information. Then, they consider how the government uses the answers to determine how it spends its money with a collaborative...
US Department of Commerce
Apportionment: Grades 7-8
One person, one voice ... right? Using a simulation where uneven groups are given the same voice, scholars discover why fair apportionment based on an accurate census is important. Once finished, they use actual data to consider what...
US Department of Commerce
Constitution Day
Give your Constitution Day celebration a timely slant by discussing the census! An activity that includes analysis of the Constitutional call for a census, along with scaffolded worksheets, help pupils understand the connection between...
US Department of Commerce
Community Change
America is a country on the move. Analyzing data from the Census Bureau, class members gauge the people moving in and out of their areas. An interactive web feature allows pupils to see who is moving out and moving in, while discussion...
US Department of Commerce
Featured Activity: How the Census Impacts My Community
Individuals have $50,000 to spend on a program at their schools—what will they do with the money? After looking at the Constitutional mandate, learners use a census simulation activity to consider the question. After conducting their own...
US Department of Commerce
Diversity: Minority Entrepreneurship and the Economy
Using data from the Census Bureau, learners discover the growth in minority-owned businesses over time. After crunching numbers, analytical questions probe the reasons behind the shift.
US Department of Commerce
Where to Next?
Salary, education, census statistics ... how do people choose their careers? Scholars complete worksheets and rely on census data to determine their career aspirations. Then, pupils conduct Internet research about places they would...