Community Change

Skip Navigation

Community Change

This worksheet focuses on how communities or parts of a state change—or do not change—over time and introduces students to the concept of “community morphology.” Students will use U.S. Census Bureau data to analyze trends and shifts in community populations over the past 10 years in their county. These trends include population growth or decline, and migration patterns.

Suggested Grade Level

9-12

Approximate Time Required

45 minutes

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

Explore changes in neighborhoods, using U.S. Census Bureau data.
Analyze trends and shifts in neighborhood populations over time.
Practice qualitative and quantitative analysis.
Compare and contrast how a topic is addressed in a variety of primary and secondary sources.
Understand the data tool being used and why it’s important that this information is tracked.

Materials Required

Printed student worksheets
A projector or an interactive whiteboard with internet access
Student laptops or tablets to access the Census Flows Mapper data tool
- Students will work together in pairs or small groups; therefore, it is not necessary to have a laptop or a tablet for every student.
- If technology is not available in your classroom, you may print out the maps and the corresponding data for your county and nearby counties for students to review.