The United States Census was first conducted in 1790. Our current census is an accurate count of the U.S. population and forms the basis for many important but often overlooked political, economic, and social decisions that are made, which end up affecting our daily lives.
Unfortunately, there has been a serious attempt to derail the Census on the basis of invasion of privacy and the fear of the government using the Census to take away people's "rights."
After all the successful use of Census data over the decades since 1790, these perceived threats can and are interfering with the timely and successful data collection needed to ensure that all citizens get the rights they are granted by the Constitution. Census information affects the numbers of seats a citizen's state occupies in the U.S. House of Representatives.
And people from many walks of life use Census data to advocate for causes, rescue disaster victims, prevent diseases, research markets, locate pools of skilled workers, and more. That's why it's so important that each household fill in the form and promptly mail it back.
When you do the math, it's easy to see what an accurate count of residents can do for your community: better infrastructure, more services, and a brighter tomorrow for everyone.
In fact, the information the census collects helps to determine how more than $400 billion dollars of federal funding each year is spent on infrastructure and services like: hospitals, job training centers, schools, senior centers, bridges, tunnels and otherpublic works projects, and emergency services.
BookCart Learning Activity
ProQuest has created a BookCart learning activity to help your students learn more about the 2010 Census, why it's necessary, the problems, and the groups who object to it and why--"2010 Census."
This and all of our 800 model BookCarts are complete one-stop learning activities for your students. This saves time for more teaching and learning that too often is consumed in non-productive searching and evaluating relevancy.
Each Cart provides (a) examples of essential questions that help students develop 21st Century critical thinking skills; (b) student directions that guide the research process; (c) call numbers to related print resources; (d) an optional quiz; (e) an information literacy standard; and (f) ProQuest models for written reports and presentations. You won't find this combination of inquiry-based learning activity support in one place in any other K-12 resource.
You can copy, edit, and adapt these models to differentiate instruction for your students. (Learn how.)
Pathfinder for Copying
Click the PROQUEST CARTS tab (800 ProQuest models).
Type "Census 2010" in the Search box.
Click the COPY icon in the ACTIONS column to the right of the title.
Click RETURN TO MY LOCAL CARTS tab to end the copying process.
Librarians or teachers can edit this BookCart to customize it for their students.
Pathfinder for Editing
Click the new BookCart TITLE with the prefix "COPY OF".
Delete "Copy of" and then type your name in the AUTHOR boxes and your initials in the EMAIL box (required filler info).
Option: Edit any ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS for your students in the DESCRIPTION box.
Option: Edit the existing STUDENT DIRECTIONS in the Description box.
Scroll down and click SAVE.
Click RETURN TO MY LOCAL CARTS and view your new student learning activity.
Traditional Search Learning Activity
Assign students to write a report of at least 150 words, citing at least three resources, or a seven-slide/two minute presentation. Reports and presentations should address the following essential questions for critical thinking (you can add or substitute others):
What are the major purposes of the Census?
What are the current issues that make taking the Census difficult?
How could the current Census process be improved?
What groups are against participation in the Census and why?
Research Pathfinder
Select Advanced Search > Type "Census" in the Search box > Type "Census" in the Document Title box of Advanced Search > Click Sort by: Date.
