Represent: Why the Census Matters—in 2020 and Beyond

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.