This presentation will focus on using census reports in the social studies classroom to learn about a community in Kansas in 1880. The census report enables students to learn a great deal of information about a community's past by viewing the primary source first-hand in the classroom. Students can learn about the occupations found in a rural community on the Great Plains. Additionally, identify which percentage of the community's population was born in another state rather than Kansas. Students can also discover what percentage of the community's population was foreign-born. In addition, students can identify the age of each resident of the community and examine trends that emerge from the census report. Finally, the presenter will share tips on how to organize and implement the census report activity in the classroom. There are many opportunities to replicate this lesson to investigate the history of communities throughout Wisconsin and our nation.
