Making Sense of Census 2000 By Suzannah Ruland 4/13/2019

Objectives Compare historical maps and draw conclusions Use special purpose maps to analyze population densities and shifts Explore the theme of Census 2000 by designing a billboard Use real-life problem-solving skills to select a site for a new school Create a “mock” census form, then analyze data gathered from it Evaluate and display data gathered from “mock” census form 4/13/2019

A History of the Census 4/13/2019

Where We Live Special Purpose Map: a map that displays information about a specific subject Mean Center of Population: The point at which a country would balance perfectly if it were a flat surface and every person on it was of equal weight. Population Density: the number of people per unit area (e.g. square mile) 4/13/2019

Fill in Your Future The U.S. Constitution says the government must do a census every ten years. Filling in the census form is important because it’s like filling in the future. To help people understand the importance of completing their census forms, the U.S. Census Bureau has created a slogan: “This is Your Future. Don’t Leave It Blank.” Create a billboard to advertise this idea.. 4/13/2019

Making Plans Federal, Tribal, State, and Local Governments, and businesses use census information to tailor services to a community’s needs. It is very important in urban planning decisions. Site-Planning Exercise: Use census-style data and other factors to pick a new school site. What factors should be considered in selecting a site for a new school? 4/13/2019

Create Your Own Form Students will conduct a class census with information collected from their own households. They will find the mean, median, mode, and range to organize the statistics. Your Class Census should include two questions. 1. How many people live in your household? 2. What are their ages? Information will be recorded on activity sheets given to students. 4/13/2019

Graph It! Collecting data is a big part of the U.S. Census Bureau’s work. Displaying it in a useful way is also important There are many types of charts used to display the information collected. To calculate percent: Step 1: Divide the population for the age group by the total population. Step 2: Round the decimal to the hundredth place. Step 3: Multiply by 100. Add the % sign. 4/13/2019

Bibliography Additional Resources Making Sense of Census 2000 Teaching Guide, Grades 5-8 http://www.census.gov Web sites 50 States & Capitals - www.50states.com U.S. House of Representatives - www.house.gov Map Man - www.scholastic.com/jsi/mapman/index.htm Books State Governments by Barbara Silberdick Feinberg (Watts, 1993).. Take a Stand! By Daniel Weizmann (Price/Stern/Sloan, 1996). Statistical Abstract of the United States by the U.S. Census Bureau (National Technical Information Service, 1998). Additional Resources 4/13/2019

Activity Activity Create Your Own Form * 07/16/96 Activity Activity Create Your Own Form Follow the directions in each box to find the answers asked for Mean Mode Range Median Create Your Own Form Follow the directions in each box to answer the questions for each of the following areas: Mean Mode Range Median Compare the statistics your group gathered with those gathered by other groups. 4/13/2019 *

Fair Use Certain materials are included under the fair use exemption of the U.S. Copyright law and have been prepared according to the educational fair use guidelines. 4/13/2019