City Planning With Census Data

City Planning With Census Data

Activity Description

City Planning With Census Data

Step into the shoes of a city planner and discover how U.S. Census Bureau data help shape your community. In this Mini Lesson, students will work in small groups to use a set number of tokens based on their city’s population size as their budget to “purchase” services, businesses, and public spaces they believe their city needs the most.

Suggested Grade Level

Elementary/Middle

Approximate Time Required

45 minutes

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

  • Make decisions based on data.
  • Solve for quotients of up to a four-digit dividend by a three-digit divisor.
  • Present an argument by using data to support their stance.
  • Make predictions about resources needed for their assigned community based on population.
  • Understand why the decennial census is important to the distribution of federal funds.

Materials Required

  • Student worksheets
  • Calculators for each group of students
Page Last Revised - September 15, 2026