Subjects
Arts & Humanities
--Language Arts
Mathematics
--Applied Math
--Arithmetic
--Measurement
--Statistics
Social Studies
--Civics
--Current Events
--Economics
--Geography
--Government
--History
----U.S. History
Grades
Grades 2-up
News Content
An accurate population count is extremely important to states, cities, and neighborhoods.
Anticipation Guide
Write the word census on a board or chart. Ask students if they know what the word means. If needed, provide a dictionary definition, for example, an official count of all the people living in a country or district.
If it is helpful, you might take a class census. Get a count of students. Then collect additional census" information such as the
Finally, write U.S. Census Bureau on a board or chart. Explain that the U.S. Census Bureau is the government agency charged with carrying out a census of the U.S. population every ten years. As a lead in to this weeks News for Kids story, ask Why do you think it is important to get a precise count of the number of people who live in the United States? Accept reasoned responses. The News for Kids story will make the primary reasons quite clear.
News Words
Next, introduce these words that appear in the News Word Box on the students printable page: accurate, residence, representative, data, determine, and services. Discuss the meanings of any of those words that might be unfamiliar. Then ask students to use one of those words to complete each of these sentences:
Read the News
Click for a printable version of this weeks news story The 2010 Census Is Coming!.
More Facts to Share
The 2010 Census
You might share this video about the upcoming census, especially if your students live in large cities or rural areas where their parents and others might not be aware of the importance of the census to their communities.
You might share these additional facts with students after they have read this weeks news story.
Use the News
Answer Key
Use the News: Reading Comprehension. 1.c, 2.b, 3.c, 4.a, 5.d.
Language Practice: Find the Mistakes.
1. This years census form asks questions about each family members age, date of birth, and race. (comma added)
2. Census forms are mailed to every residence in the United States.
3. The U.S. government needs accurate census data so it can spend its money fairly. (the contraction form of its [it is] is not needed here)
4. How many Representatives do you think California will have after the census results are known? (period replaced by question mark)
5. The population of Texas is growing, but the population of Ohio isnt. (apostrophe added to contraction)
More Language Practice: Building Vocabulary. 1.a, 2.d, 3.b, 4.c.
2010 Census: More Teaching Resources
Census in Schools
This resource from the U.S. Census Bureau includes resources for kids, teens, and teachers.
2010 Census: United States
Scholastic provides these resources for teachers.
Assessment
Use the Comprehension Check (above) as an assessment. Or have students work on their own (in their journals) or in their small groups to respond to the Think About the News question on the news story page.
Lesson Plan Source
Education WorldNational Standards
LANGUAGE ARTS: English
GRADES K - 12
NL-ENG.K-12.1 Reading for Perspective
NL-ENG.K-12.2 Reading for Understanding
NL-ENG.K-12.7 Evaluating Data
NL-ENG.K-12.8 Developing Research Skills
NL-ENG.K-12.9 Multicultural Understanding
NL-ENG.K-12.11 Participating in Society
NL-ENG.K-12.12 Applying Language Skills
MATHEMATICS: Number and Operations
GRADES Pre-K - 2
NM-NUM.PK-2.1 Understand Numbers, Ways of Representing Numbers, Relationships Among Numbers, and Number Systems
GRADES 3 - 5
NM-NUM.3-5.1 Understand Numbers, Ways of Representing Numbers, Relationships Among Numbers, and Number Systems
GRADES 6 - 8
NM-NUM.6-8.1 Understand Numbers, Ways of Representing Numbers, Relationships Among Numbers, and Number Systems
GRADES 9 - 12
NM-NUM.9-12.1 Understand Numbers, Ways of Representing Numbers, Relationships Among Numbers, and Number Systems
MATHEMATICS: Data Analysis and Probability
GRADES Pre-K - 2
NM-DATA.PK-2.1 Formulate Questions That Can Be Addressed With Data and Collect, Organize, and Display Relevant Data to Answer
NM-DATA.PK-2.2 Select and Use Appropriate Statistical Methods to Analyze Data
GRADES 3 - 5
NM-DATA.3-5.1 Formulate Questions That Can Be Addressed With Data and Collect, Organize, and Display Relevant Data to Answer
NM-DATA.3-5.3 Develop and Evaluate Inferences and Predictions That Are Based on Data
GRADES 6 - 8
NM-DATA.6-8.1 Formulate Questions That Can Be Addressed With Data and Collect, Organize, and Display Relevant Data to Answer
NM-DATA.6-8.3 Develop and Evaluate Inferences and Predictions That Are Based on Data
GRADES 9 - 12
NM-DATA.9-12.1 Formulate Questions That Can Be Addressed With Data and Collect, Organize, and Display Relevant Data to Answer
NM-DATA.9-12.3 Develop and Evaluate Inferences and Predictions That Are Based on Data
MATHEMATICS: Representation
GRADES Pre-K - 12
NM-REP.PK-12.1 Create and Use Representations to Organize, Record, and Communicate Mathematical Ideas
SOCIAL SCIENCES: Civics
GRADES K - 4
NSS-C.K-4.1 What Is Government?
NSS-C.K-4.3 Principles of Democracy
NSS-C.K-4.5 Roles of the Citizen
GRADES 5 - 8
NSS-C.5-8.1 Civic Life, Politics, and Government
NSS-C.5-8.3 Principles of Democracy
NSS-C.5-8.5 Roles of the Citizen
GRADES 9 - 12
NSS-C.9-12.1 Civic Life, Politics, and Government
NSS-C.9-12.3 Principles of Democracy
NSS-C.9-12.5 Roles of the Citizen
SOCIAL SCIENCES: Economics
GRADES K - 4
NSS-EC.K-4.3 Allocating Goods and Services
NSS-EC.K-4.17 Cost of Government
GRADES 5 - 8
NSS-EC.5-8.3 Allocating Goods and Services
NSS-EC.5-8.17 Cost of Government
GRADES 9 - 12
NSS-EC.9-12.3 Allocating Goods and Services
NSS-EC.9-12.17 Cost of Government
SOCIAL SCIENCES: Geography
GRADES K - 12
NSS-G.K-12.1 The World in Spatial Terms
NSS-G.K-12.6 Uses of Geography
SOCIAL SCIENCES: U.S. History
GRADES K - 4
NSS-USH.K-4.3 The History of the United States: Democratic Principles and Values and the People from Many Cultures Who Contributed to Its Cultural, Economic, and Political Heritage
GRADES 5 - 12
NSS-USH.5-12.10 Era 10: Contemporary United States (1968 to the Present)
See recent news stories in Education Worlds News Story of the Week Archive.
Article by Gary Hopkins
Education World®
Copyright © 2010 Education World
02/04/2010