FUTURE FOCUS(Community Involvement)
Grades 9-10

Skills and Objectives:

*  Students will recognize the importance of the census and the need to advertise this importance.
*  Students will identify the potential concerns of different segments of the population.
*  Students will design an advertisement for Census 2000.

Suggested Groupings-Small groups

Getting Started: 

*  Discuss with students the importance of getting involved in their community and helping to
   increase census awareness. As a way of doing this, students will develop census ads. The goal
   is to choose a specific segment of the population as their target audience and encourage them to
   return their census forms, thereby helping the Census Bureau achieve an accurate count of the    
   nation's population.
*  Explain that conducting a decennial census is a tremendous undertaking. When people don't return
   their forms by mail, the U.S. Census Bureau must hire employees to knock on doors and record the
   census information-a costly process. In 1990, many of the more than 300,000 temporary census
   employees were hired specifically to visit households that did not return forms.  It can cost
   six times as much to count each household in this way. One goal of Census 2000 is to increase
   the percentage of households that return the census form by mail. 
*  Brainstorm the importance of responding to the census and the ways in which census data affect
   our nation's future. (Examples include:  apportioning representation in the House of 
   Representatives; allocating money for education, transportation, and other services.) 

Using the Activity Worksheets:        

*  Distribute copies of pages 10 and 11.   
*  Divide students into small groups.  Have groups read the text and do the first activity on page
   10. 
*  After groups complete the first activity, have volunteers explain how results of the census for
   might affect the household categories.
*  Students can visit the U.S. Census Bureau Web site (www.census.gov) or the library to find more
   information for their ads.
*  Before students begin designing their ads, encourage them to brainstorm examples of other public
   service campaigns.  You might discuss ad campaigns designed to encourage people to register to
   vote, or to discourage people from drinking and driving.
*  You may wish to offer students the opportunity to select the type of ad they want to work on.
   They might want to do a print ad, a radio ad, or a television ad.  A print ad should include
   visual elements.  A radio ad should be written in a formal script.  A TV ad should contain a
   script as well as a storyboard of visuals.
*  Have students design their ads.

Wrapping Up:

*  Invite students to use their advertisement viewing experience to analyze various ads.  At what
   target audience are these ads aimed?  How can you tell?
*  Have each group present their ads.  For each ad, a group spokesperson should explain the segment
   of the population they targeted and the reasoning they used when designing their ad for that
   category.

Answers:

Page 10 (Possible answers):
1. C, E, H. 
2. C, H. 
3. D, F, G.
4. B. 
5. G. 
6. A, C, D, H.

Chalkboard Definitions

decennial:  occurring every 10 years.
target audience:  a specific group of people at which an advertisement or other presentation is
		  aimed.



FUTURE FOCUS

*  Census data are used to make a wide variety of federal, tribal, state, and local decisions that
   affect all U.S. residents.  The U.S. Census Bureau needs to spread the word about the importance
   of filling in and returning the Census 2000 form.

*  The box below shows some examples of how Census 2000 data can affect the future.  As with many
   other things, people's concerns about the future vary according to who they are.  Families with
   school-age children might have very different concerns than the elderly.

Decide which effects of census data (in the box to the right) might most concern the household
categories listed below.  Then write those letters in the blanks. (Letters may be used more than
once.)

Ways Census Data Can Affect the Future

The Census...
A. Determines how many representatives each state has in Congress.
B. Can affect where new roads will be built.
C. Can determine where new schools and libraries are needed.
D. Can play a role in locating new hospitals.
E. Can play a role in locating new day care centers.
F. Can play a role in locating new nursing homes.
G. Can affect public transportation.
H. Can play a role in locating new parks and recreational centers.

Household Categories

1. Households with children under age 5
2. Households with school-age children
3. Households with people age 65 and over
4. Households with cars
5. Households without cars
6. All households

Design an Ad

Now it's time for your group to create a Census 2000 advertisement aimed at a specific segment of
the population or target audience (for example: students in grades 9-12; unmarried adults, ages
18 to 30).  As you design, you might want to keep the following in mind:
*  What will your ad say?  What information about the census and the future will be of interest to
   your target audience?  What would be a convincing reason for your targeted audience to
   participate in the census?  How will your target audience affect ad placement?  List three places
   you would want to display your ad.

*  Use the space below to sketch an outline of your ad.



DISTRICT DECISIONS(Community Involvement)

Skills and Objectives:

*  Students will use a timeline to learn about reapportionment and redistricting.
*  Students will debate redistricting based on municipal boundaries vs. population counts.

Getting Started:

*  Review the legislative branch of our government: the House of Representatives and Senate.  
*  Introduce the concepts of reapportionment and redistricting, emphasizing these points: 
   1. The Census Bureau collects population totals; reapportionment decisions are made by Congress;
      redistricting decisions are made by state legislators.
   2. Before the 1960s, apportionment of state legislature seats was often based on land area not
      population, so a sparsely populated area could have the same congressional clout as a more 
      densely populated one.
   3. Courts today have interpreted the "one person, one vote" principle to mean congressional,
      state, and local districts must be composed of approximately equal population totals.
      Redistricting occurs to reflect changes in relative numbers of people living in each state.
   4. Population redistribution within states affects redistricting.  Redistricting by population
      can often lead to oddly shaped districts that don't conform to municipal boundaries.
   5. After the 1990 Decennial Census, lawsuits were filed challenging several newly drawn
      congressional districts.  The most well-known of these cases involved North Carolina's 12th
      District, which was a ribbon-like, 160-mile long district that was drawn, in compliance with
      the Voting Rights Act, to redress prior discrimination against minorities in North Carolina.  Although
      African-Americans make up nearly 25 percent of North Carolina's population, an African-
      American had not been elected to congress from that state in over 100 years.
      *  A political party with control of a state legislature may try to "gerrymander" district
         boundaries to favor its party over others.  Political gerrymandering is not illegal. 
         However, courts have ruled in the North Carolina case that "racial gerrymandering" is
         illegal.
      *  Discuss whether gerrymandering in any form should be legal.  What factors should be
         considered in drawing congressional districts?
      *  Distribute copies of pages 13 and 14.  Review the redistricting timeline with students,
         then have them research the redistricting process in their state. To assist them in their
         research, refer students to the Web sites on page 14.
      *  Have students complete page 13, then review their responses.
      *  Divide students into four groups.  Explain that the groups will debate a proposed change
         in the way congressional districts are drawn.  There will be two duplicate debates.  To
         help students prepare, have them research and answer the debate prep questions.
      *  Next, have the groups read the debate statement and choose sides.  Explain that, during
         the debate, each side will be allowed to speak twice for up to 10 minutes, once to present
         their argument, and once for rebuttal of the other side's argument.  The side in favor of
         the debate statement will go first and will receive an extra one minute counterrebuttal at
         the end.
      *  Have groups present their debates.  Discuss the issue.  Which side receives more support?

Extension:

*  Have students find out more about their own congressional voting district.  Who is their
   representative?  Students can check the library or visit www.house.gov/writerep.

Answers:

1. Students should note trends: representation (and population) in the Northeast and Midwest
   have declined since 1960; while representation has increased in the South and West. 
2. Answers will vary and might include: a smaller tax base; a strain on natural resources. 
3. Answers will vary.  Growing regions should insure that issues important to them are debated
   in Congress.

Chalkboard Definitions

reapportionment: the reassignment of congressional representation based on changes in state
		 populations.
redistricting: drawing new congressional district boundaries.
municipal: relating to a town, city, or urban area.
gerrymandering: redrawing district boundaries to give a political party or other group an electoral
		advantage.



Lesson 4 Activity Worksheet

DISTRICT DECISIONS

*  Census population counts play an important role in how we are represented in the House of
   Representatives.  When a state's population changes significantly (compared to the rest of the
   country), the House of Representatives adds or subtracts a representative from that state.  This
   is called reapportionment.  When state populations change, the state legislatures use census
   population counts to draw new district boundaries.  This is called redistricting.  The timeline
   below shows you how the process works:

Census Redistricting Timeline

Census population counts collected. - Census Day April 1, 2000
The President receives population counts from the U.S. Census Bureau. - by December 31, 2000
Reapportionment.  Congress determines which states gain/lose representatives based on census
 counts. - Within 1 week of the opening of Congress, January 2001
The House of Representatives informs the states.  Some states gain seats, others lose seats. - 
 Within 15 days of when Congress determines reapportionment.
State Legislatures receive counts from the U.S. Census Bureau. - by April 1, 2001
Redistricting.  Districts are redrawn. - In time for the 2002 Congressional Elections
Elections. - November 5, 2002
New districts send their representatives to Washington, D.C. - January 2003 

*  Now use this table to answer the questions below.

Congressional Representatives by Region:

Northeast 	CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT - in 1960, region had 108, in 1970 region had
		104, in 1980 region had 95, and in 1990 region had 88 representatives.
South		AL, AR, DC, DE, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV - in 1960 region
		had 133, in 1970 region had 134, in 1980 region had 142, and in 1990 region had
		149 representatives.
Midwest  	IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI - in 1960 region had 125, in 1970
		region had 121, in 1980 region had 113, and in 1990 region had 105 representatives.
West     	AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY - in 1960, region had 69, in
		1970 region had 76, in 1980 region had 85, and in 1990 region had 93
		representatives.


1. What does this table tell you about changes in the nation's population?  Why do you think these
   changes have taken place?

2. How have these changes affected these regions?

3. How do you think shifts in regional population might affect the goals or priorities of the
   House of Representatives?



*  Drawing districts so that they have equal populations means that some districts have larger or
   smaller land areas than others.  It also means that these districts can divide or cross
   municipal boundaries.  A neighborhood may be part of two or more voting districts!  What if
   federal districts were drawn according to county, city, town, or neighborhood boundaries?  How
   would that affect our representation in Congress?  Would it compromise the "one person, one
   vote" principle upon which our democracy is based?  Should voting districts be based on
   municipal boundaries and not population counts?  Read the debate statement below.

Debate Statement:  Congressional districts should be based on municipal boundaries, not population
		   counts.  Yes or No.

Debate Prep Questions

Conduct research to find the answers to these questions.  If necessary, use a separate piece of
paper.

1. How many voting districts are there in your state?  Do any of them cross municipal boundaries?

2. How often has your state redrawn voting districts over the past 50 years?

3. Based on your state's population distribution, would a change to municipal voting districts mean
   that some representatives represented twice as many people as others?  How often might this
   occur?

4. How might your state's districts be redrawn to conform to municipal boundaries?

*  You may wish to visit these Web sites while preparing for your debate:     

http://www.ncsl.org/statevote98/redisl.htm                   
 The National Conference of State Legislature's Web site has information on redistricting issues. 
www.ncinsider.com//redistrict/redistrict.html  
 This site provides additional information about redistricting rulings involving North Carolina's
 12th district.  
http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/departments/scr/redist/red9O7.htm      
 This site, developed by the Senate Counsel to Minnesota, contains information on recent Supreme
 Court decisions regarding redistricting.                
http://www.ncsl.org/statevote98/statesites.htm  
 This site contains district maps for some states.

Tips for Your Debate

1. Do the research.  Find out all you can about the redistricting process.
2. Use examples.  Look for specific instances from the past that will support your claim, like
   court cases.
3. Get organized.  Create a list of factors that the proposed change would affect.  Then create an
   outline that addresses them.
4. Be prepared.  The winning side in a debate is usually the one that has done more preparation.