Activity

The Census Questionnaire: Then and Now

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

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 scholars think about what these questions say about the American identity and what is most important to them. 

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CCSS: Adaptable
Instructional Ideas
  • Use discussion questions to compare and contrast census surveys
  • Refer to historical census forms to discuss the concerns of previous eras
Classroom Considerations
  • Learners may need Internet access if having them view census forms not included with worksheet
Pros
  • Images are intriguing and stimulate interest
  • Resource includes some annotations for handwriting on difficult to read documents
Cons
  • None