Trends in Congressional Apportionment

Component ID: #ti1578173595

Activity Description

Students will examine a 2010 Census brief to understand the apportionment process and to analyze the relationship between a state’s population and its number of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, making calculations with a multistep formula. Students will also identify trends in congressional apportionment.

Component ID: #ti501372300

Suggested Grade Level

9-10

Component ID: #ti501372301

Approximate Time Required

45-60 minutes

Component ID: #ti501372302

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to understand how to calculate a state’s number of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Students will be able to identify trends in congressional apportionment.
Students will be able to analyze the relationship between population and apportionment to understand the distribution of congressional power in the United States.

Component ID: #ti501372303

Materials Required

The student version of this activity, 11 pages; it contains images that should be printed in color.
Calculators

A teacher computer with Internet access and a projector to display web sites are optional.

Component ID: #ti501372304

Activity Item

The following item is part of this activity. The item, its source, and instructions for viewing it online appear at the end of this teacher version.

2010 Census Brief — Congressional Apportionment

Download Teacher Version

Download Student Version

Teacher Notes

Blooms Taxonomy

Analyzing

Students will analyze a Census Bureau document containing data tables, a map, and a graph to understand the relationship between the U.S. population and the apportionment of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Subject

High School History

Topics

Apportionment
Choropleth maps
Political representation
U.S. House of Representatives

Skills Taught

Comparing time periods
Identifying cause and effect