The Census

Integrated Unit of Study

Johnson Elementary

Organizer

Do I Count?

Essential Questions

• Why is the census important?
• What are the benefits of the census?
• How can we promote interest in the census at a local level?
• How can we improve the accuracy of the census?

Academic Expectations

Academic Expectations - Primary Expectations

1.14  Students make sense of ideas and communicate ideas with music

Ø     Explore and respond to music through singing, instrument playing, moving, listening, reading, writing and creating.

Ø     Communicate ideas, emotions through performing or creating music using developmentally appropriate performance techniques/practices and music concepts.

2.14  Students understand responsibility and real life situations, democratic procedures

Ø     Determine rights and responsibility in real life situations

Ø     Recognize oneself as a part of a group and demonstrate cooperation with others.

1.5-9  Students use mathematical ideas and procedures to communicate reason and solve problems

Ø     Listen to, read about, write about, and speak about mathematical ideas and procedures.

1.2 Students make sense of a variety of the materials they read.

Ø     Relate reading experiences to life situations

Academic Expectations - Secondary Expectations

1.1  Students use reference tools such as dictionaries, almanacs, encyclopedias and computer reference programs and research tools such as interviews, surveys to find information they need to meet specific demands, explore interests or solve specific problems

2.7  Students understand number concepts

2.10  Students understand measurement concepts

2.13 Students understand concepts of statistics and probability

2.19  Recognize and understand relationships between people and geography and apply their knowledge in real life situations

2.26 Through the Arts and Humanities students recognize that although people are different they share some experiences and attitudes

Technology Standards

T1.1          Demonstrate ethical use of electronic resources

T4.4          Locate information using the Internet

T4.5          Navigate within an operating system or software

T4.7          Locate information from application software (word processor, spreadsheet)

T5.1  Use proper keyboarding with speed and accuracy relative to task.

T5.6          Enter and edit word processing information

T5.7          Enter and edit spreadsheet information

Culminating Activities

A student created musical production to help promote interest in the census.

Students will take to music class their response to an open response question to share for inclusion in the development of a census rap.

The class will be divided into small groups.  Each group will be given a list of teachers and the census forms to tally information about how many students are in each classroom.  Teacher will collect from the groups the calculated class results and display school wide results of the census.  This information will be used to allow individual students to answer the following Open Response question:

Our school has just received 10 new computers.   Using the data you have collected and what you have learned about a census…

1.  Decide where to put the new computers.

2.  Give two or more reasons to support your answer.

Scoring Guide

Content Knowledge

Knowledge & Skills

Construct, read and interpret displays of data.  Demonstrates basic math facts.  Demonstrates number sense.

Ø     construct charts/graphs

Ø     computation

Ø     place value

Ø     estimation

Ø     interpret and use data to make informed decisions and solve problems

Ø     data collection

Demonstrates knowledge of basic map skills.  Understanding and demonstrating civic responsibility.

Ø     reading a map

Ø     reading a map key

Ø     promote and participate in a census

Knowledge of elements of music, art, drama and dance.

Ø     rhythm, tone color, tempo, melody, dynamics

Ø     design (texture), media (crayon, paint),

Ø     acting (voice expression, diction and projection)

Ø     locomotor and nonlocomotor skills

Technology Skills

Ø     Word Processing

Ø     Internet navigation

Ø     Graphing Software Usage

Ø     Retrieving Files

Ø     Saving Files

Ø     Opening & Closing Program

Instructional/Assessment Activities

Unit Introduction

Population Map

Goal – Students will learn how to use a map key.

            Students will work with mathematical values.

            Students will work with comparison.

Students will map with child populations for each state.  They will make comparisons of the size and number of children per state.  Review place value.

Graphing Activity

Goal - Students will use mathematical concepts to display information.

Students will create a chart or graph using data from the child population map.   Allow the student to choose which states they want to use for their graphing activity.

What is a census and why is it important?

Goal - Students will understand the difference between needs and wants and how information impacts needs.

Do a T chart for what kinds of things a place with a lot of young children need.  How do government agencies know where these things are needed.   Examples that relate to local issues such as schools, McDonalds, parks, etc.

Internet Scavenger Hunt

Goal - Students will use technology to gain understanding of  concepts related to a census.

Gather basic facts about a Census     

Class Census

Goal - Students will work cooperatively to complete a sample census.

·        Importance

·        Benefits

1.  Where Do I Belong

Review communities, groups, households.  Work on the book, I Count. Create pages on My Class (write and picture) and My Household (write and picture)

2.  Census Forms

Look at short form and discussion questions.  Why are the items on the form?  How can this information be used?  Why is it important to know this information?  Role play – situation where each students’ participation is critical for accurate results

3.  Create census forms

Whole group will create a classroom census form to gather information about the class.  Student creates a census form for their household using a template.

4. Homework Activity

Complete the census at home.

  5. Follow-up with Homework

  Estimate results, interpret data, create graphs, compare and contrast data

6.      Role Playing

          Act out various situations.  Model open response question using the results from the census.

School Census

Goal           Students work cooperatively to collect information to solve problems in real life situations

Create, distribute and collect forms

Community Poster

Goal           Students will create an original product to communicate an idea to an authentic audience.

Promote Awareness of Census

          Discuss importance of involvement and the impact the results will have on the community and them.  Create a poster that encourages people in the neighborhood to participate.

Arts & Humanities Activities

Lessons

Goals:

• Students will use the elements of music (rhythm, tone color, tempo, melody and dynamics) to create a census rap.

• Students will use the elements of dance (locomotor and nonlocomotor skills) to create movement for the rap.

• Students will use the elements of art: design (texture), media (crayon, paint) to develop an invitation to the performance.

• Students will use the elements of drama: acting (voice expression, diction and projection) to produce the vocal part of the rap.

1.      Use song, “We All Live Together.” 

Discuss neighborhoods, communities, cities, etc.

2.      Songs which focus on the “Do I Count”.  Songs which promote self-esteem.

3.      Will use learned information from students to create a rap on the census and Why I Count.

4.          Create movement to the rap.

5.          Vocal Projection

6.          Create an invitation to the musical performance

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