Census and Sensibility

• Level: Grades 6 to 8 and Grades 9 to 12
  
• Subjects: Social Studies
  Math and Technology
  

  How does the 2010 U.S. Census differ from previous years?
  

  In early 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau will mail out millions of forms to adult residents of the U.S. to fill out and return to the agency. These questionnaires ask respondents about their age, race, income and other personal information. But why is the census such a big deal? Why do we need an accurate population count? How does the census affect us?
  

  Because the framers of the Constitution knew the U.S. population would change greatly in size and composition over time, they called for a national census to be taken every 10 years (decennial) to keep reliable statistical information about the country's inhabitants. This information was key in distributing seats in the House of Representatives among the states (a process called apportionment). The first census, taken in 1790, counted a U.S. population of 3.9 million; the most recent, taken 210 years later in 2000, counted around 280 million.
  

  What's the Census For?
 The census contributes much more than assisting reapportionment. Participating in the survey is in the individual's own self-interest. According to the federal government, respondents help their communities obtain federal and state funding and valuable information for planning schools, hospitals, roads and more. For example, accurate population data helps decision makers understand which neighborhoods need new schools and which ones need greater services for the elderly. The government will not be able to tell what neighborhoods need if residents do not fill out their census forms. The census also tracks changes in family structures and in racial composition in order to reflect and present the full diversity of the American family to policymakers.
  

  Which Box Do I Check? 
In response to lobbying by ethnic and cultural groups, the Census Bureau — starting with the 2000 Census — expanded its list of race and ethnicity categories for use in this decade's "head count." The 2000 Census was also the first year people with mixed racial heritage may select more than one racial category. There are a total of 15 classifications from which to choose. However, the federal government, for purposes of collecting and classifying information, will continue to record individuals as belonging to one of six groups and will collapse responses into the following categories:
  

  1. American Indian or Alaska Native
  

  2. Asian

  

  3. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

  

  4. Black or African America

  

  5. White

  

  6. Other
  

  The Asian/Pacific Islander category, used previously in the 1990 Census, has been divided into two separate groups, and "Hispanic or Latino" has been added as an ethnicity. In federal statistical systems, ethnic origin is considered to be a separate concept from race. On the current Census form, people of Hispanic origin are instructed to answer the question on race by choosing from the six available classifications. They then use the Hispanic origin question to indicate the specific group they belong to: Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, or other groups, such as Spanish, Honduran or Venezuelan.
  

  In 2000, the Institute for Gay and Lesbian Strategic Studies (IGLSS) and the Policy Institute of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) launched the campaign "Make Your Family Count" to encourage same-sex couples to be counted in the U.S. census. What is being done for the 2010 Census?
  

  Although these changes reflect more accurately the make-up of our national community, many people argue that the reforms fall short of being fully inclusive. The Census Activities are designed to help students explore this issue and other important topics surrounding the 2010 Census.
  

  (Source = www.teachingtolerance.org )