Fun Facts
Did you know that in 2023 over half of the 65.2 million Hispanics population in the U.S. called themselves Californians (15,760,437), Texans (12,135,690), or Floridians (6,197,465)? Find more interesting facts like this in our Hispanic Heritage Month Fun Facts and use the accompanying teaching guide to find grade-appropriate discussion topics and activities relating to the handout such as state comparisons and exploring trends in education data.

Classroom Activity
Histogram fun! This middle school math activity, Frequency Distributions - Hispanic or Latino Population Percentages in 50 States and the District of Columbia, helps students create and interpret histograms. Students will discover that in 2022 there were 12 states that had “0 to less than 5” percent of Hispanic or Latino population as they compare the frequencies of Hispanic or Latino population percentages for the 50 states and the District of Columbia (by completing frequency tables and summarizing and displaying the data).

Kahoot! Game
Continue the celebration by having students play our Kahoot! game about the Hispanic/Latinx population groups in the U.S.. During this gametime they will learn interesting facts like the estimated Hispanic population in the U.S. in 2023 was about 65.2 million and in 2023 the percentage of the Hispanic population ages 25 and up with a high school diploma or equivalent was about 76 percent.

Warm-Up Activity
Lastly, we have our 5-Minute Warm-Up Challenge – What is the Hispanic or Latino Population in Your State? – to share with students. For this activity, students review a map and identify states with the smallest and largest percentages of the Hispanic or Latino population throughout the United States – and share two other things they learned from the graphic.

Did you know there were an estimated 41 million potential trick-or-treaters – children aged 5 to 14 – in 2023 across the United States? Learn more cool facts about this spooktacular day like the number of formal wear and costume rental establishments in the U.S., with our Halloween Fun Facts handout. Teachers can use the accompanying teaching guide to find fun ways to turn the handout into an activity. For example, students could add to the chart in the “Costume Fun!” section by identifying more occupations that make great costume ideas using our data access tools “Data.census.gov” at <https://data.census.gov/table?q=B24124>.

How many U.S. places do you know with spooky-sounding names? Our fall-themed Kahoot! game, Harvests and Hayrides: Fall Fun with Census Bureau Data, makes the season come alive with real-life Census Bureau data from the state projected to raise the most turkeys to the number of pumpkins and apples exported. Get students excited to learn with census data and boost their statistical literacy!

Census Data at Work
Learn how census data can help your community with this middle school English activity. Students will analyze an infographic of people with different professions such as a business owner, fire chief, or market analyst to determine how each might use the American Community Survey (ACS) data gathered by the Census Bureau.

Teachers will engage students in a discussion about what the Census Bureau does and what types of information it collects. Then students will read and annotate informational texts from the Census Bureau and work with a partner to answer questions about the texts. Students will use evidence from an infographic to support their answers.

For Computer Learning Month, utilize relevant data to inspire students to learn about their community. The Census Bureau’s SIS program offers a variety of tools to access data about their state and the country including population, age, educational attainment, and more. Review our Teachers’ Guide to Data Access Tools for Students to learn more about these tools, then challenge your students to use them to complete our various classroom activities.

World’s Teacher’s Day is October 5. In honor of this day, SIS would like to share the top benefits of using our program. Whether you teach math or history, kindergarten or high school, there is something available for everyone. Our resources were developed by teachers for teachers and are designed to supplement current lesson plans. To further boost statistical literacy, check out our collection of Kahoot! games and, if you’re interested in becoming more involved with SIS, learn more about our Ambassador Program.

This National Dessert Day is October 14, share our State Facts for Students data tool with students to explore the number of ice cream and frozen dessert makers in their state as well as other cool things like the total number of 8- to 14-year-olds, amusement parks, smartphone users and more. Students can then put their minds to work by comparing information about their state and other states.

In celebration of World Statistics Day on October 20, watch our Statistics in Schools Preparing Students for a Data-Driven World video that discusses how the Census Bureau has expanded its efforts to promote statistical literacy by providing real-life data for the classroom with its Statistics in Schools program.