Census forms are in the mail! It’s time to start talking to our students about the Census.
Census 2020 wants to make it clear that you “count” and you need “to be counted”. This is no small claim, and it is one of the central messages that is repeated in the resources and materials published by the U.S. Bureau of the Census, and by many adult literacy educational, advocacy and social justice organizations. There have been many resources collected by the National Coalition for Literacy and the New England Literacy Resource Center (NELRC) .
Quick tip: Find quick messages and resources to share with your students in Census Messages and Resources for Language and Literacy (doc). Copy/paste messages and links that can be shared through Twitter, Instagram, Google Classroom, Whatsapp, etc.
So, how do we sort through such a broad range of resources and find a place to start without being overwhelmed? 2020 Census Messaging Basics: What Students Need to Know, Understand, and Share from the CUNY Adult Literacy/HSE Program is a one-page document that links to resources that focus on materials that center on key messages teachers should send to ESOL and all adult literacy students.
These messages include:
- Information you provide on the Census is protected by law, and cannot be shared.
- There is NO citizenship question on the 2020 Census.
- Participation in the 2020 Census is required by law, but also necessary for your community to get the services it needs: adult literacy classes, school resources for your children, college grants, housing, hospitals, and assistance with a broad range of other services that depend on representation.
- 2020 Census is available in paper form, online (with a code that comes in the mail), and by phone.
- If you fill out the Census forms, no one will knock on your door.
Among the recommended materials, you’ll find these:
Three Beginner 2020 Census Lessons from Campbell Community Ed (ElCivics). These lessons provide a great starting point for low level students.
Lesson ONE: Facts about 2020 Census (What you need to know about the Census)
Lesson TWO: Count Me In! (Who to count on your Census form)
Lesson THREE: Reasons to Complete the Census (What your participation in the Census means for your community)
Become a 2020 Census Ambassador” lesson packet from the latest issue of The Change Agent, “Stand Up, Be Counted” gets students involved in their own learning. Students read articles from the issue to help them learn and turnkey the information to other students in their community.
Language support for the Census in 59 Non-English Languages is available at the U.S. Census Bureau site. In the upper right corner of this U.S. Census Bureau website is a drop-down menu where students can access Census 2020 information, practice Census forms, and watch an informational 9-minute video in their native language of choice. Teachers might use this video as a computer lab activity. Students could watch in their own native language (possibly with a graphic organizer to take notes) and then the class could discuss the ideas and messages in English, and/or make questions in English that they still have about the 2020 Census.
And just a final note: Once you have covered the basics, DO go back to the 2020 Census drop-down menu at the National Coalition for Literacy…
and Classroom Resources at the New England Literacy Resource Center (NELRC).
These resources have even more teaching and learning resources, 2020 Census resource links, webinars, and presentations.
