U.S. Census: Using the past to predict the future
In this lesson, students research census data about a career that interests them to find out how the numbers of people in that profession have changed over time in North Carolina.
Provided by CareerStart
Author’s note
This lesson plan can be modified to include information from earlier U.S. Censuses. For example, it can be done in conjunction with a discussion of the first U.S. Census.
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- CareerStart lessons: Grade eight
- This collection of lessons aligns the eighth grade curriculum in math, science, English language arts, and social studies with potential career opportunities.
- Page 6.10
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Related topics
- Learn more about North Carolina, careers, census, data analysis, economics, and social studies.
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Essential question: How have various industries in North Carolina grown or declined over time?
Lesson overview
Students will compare how specific industries have changed over time and use that information to project the growth and decline that might be reported in the next U.S. Census.
Teacher planning
Materials needed
- large T chart on board or chart paper (categories: “inclining employment rates” and “declining
employment rates) - index cards
- tape
- student computers with internet access
Student handouts
Time required for lesson
50 minutes
Pre-activities
- Before beginning the lesson, students should have a general idea of the career options that most interest them. Students should be familiar with the general job descriptions of those occupations.
- Students should also be familiar with the process and need for collecting and analyzing data in order to make decisions.
- Inform students of the goals of the U.S. Census, which is conducted every ten years.
Activities
- Distribute the student handout. Have students access the North Carolina Occupational Trends website, provided by the Economic Security Commission of North Carolina. This site allows researchers to pull and print data in the following categories: Employment by Major Industry Group, Employment by Occupational Groups, Fastest Growing Occupations, and Fastest Declining Occupations. It also allows students to apply mathematical understanding to understand change over time.
- Have students follow the steps to locate information regarding the occupation of their choice.
- Part I: Have each student identify the number of North Carolinians employed in his or her occupation in 2004 and 2014. Students will create a bar graph representing the data. (Students must establish their own scale in the # column to show the change clearly.) Students should refer to the Annualized Change column to determine whether this occupation has experienced growth or decline.
- Part II: Instruct students to create a summary statement describing the projected trends and reasoning.
- Part III: Have each student write the title of the occupational choice he or she researched on an index card along with the annualized change percentage. The teacher will construct a T chart with the categories “Inclining Employment Rates” and “Declining Employment Rates.” Have the students take turns presenting their findings to the class (summary of parts I and II). Students will place their index card in the appropriate column of the T-chart according to the annualized change percentage (growth or decline).
- Part IV: Lead the class in a discussion about the trends noticed in the presentations and T chart:
- How would you describe the collection of data on the T chart?
- What inferences can you make about the results?
- Why is accurate census data critical in making employment projections?
- Why is it important for an 8th-grade student in 2010 to analyze employment projections for 2014?
- Conclude the lesson by directing students to sources where they can learn more about the careers that interest them. Suggested resources include:
- Career Guide to Industries from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook. This site allows students to read about the projected growth in each industry in the future.
- North Carolina Economy at a Glance from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook. Presents North Carolina employment data over the years in specific categories. Data can be viewed in graph form.
Assessment
- Part I (research): 25 points
- Part II (data summary): 25 points
- Part III (presentation): 25 points
- Part IV (EQ reflection): 25 points
Modifications and alternative assessments
Students could work in small groups to analyze major occupational categories.
Optional extensions
- Have students compare the North Carolina occupational data to national occupational data using appropriate Census handouts or other recommended websites. Students could also compare employment data from their local area to the state of North Carolina as a whole. Global connections can be made by having the students compare the trends from the lesson’s data on North Carolina occupations to other parts of the country and world.
- Have students do a census/survey of their classmates or of other students in the school to determine which careers most students are interested in pursuing. Instruct students to create a graph and analyze the trends.
- Students can organize the occupations on the T chart to reflect the order from greatest to smallest change. Encourage students to make a statement describing the patterns they see in the data. (For example: Labor-intensive careers are declining while service-related careers are increasing.)
- Conclude the lesson by directing students to resources where they can learn more about the careers in which they’re interested. Suggested resources include:
- Career Guide for Industries from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook. This site allows students to read about the projected growth in each industry in the future.
- North Carolina Economy at a Glance from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook. Presents North Carolina employment data over the years in specific categories. Data can be viewed in graph form.
