Distribution of children living at home

Overview

This activity uses E-STAT to retrieve and manipulate data on the number of children of certain ages living at home. The data are analysed to determine the need for family assistance, day care and other social programs in a particular region or community.

Contributor: Trudy Hawthorne, Head of Family Studies, Haliburton Highlands Secondary School, Ontario

Objectives

• To introduce students to retrieving and mapping multiple Census characteristics
• To determine the number of children in various age groups and their distribution in Canadian communities
• To analyse data and its impact on social policies

Suggested grade level and subject area

Secondary
Family Studies

Vocabulary

Census division — Group of neighbouring municipalities joined together for the purposes of regional planning and managing common services
Census subdivision — Area that is a municipality or an area that is deemed to be equivalent to a municipality for statistical reporting purposes
Census of Population — A survey of all Canadians conducted every five years
Characteristics — Variables measured by the questions on the Census
Children — Never-married sons and daughters at home

Materials

• Access to E-STAT, or if access to a computer is limited, teacher-generated maps or tables
• Student worksheet

Resources

2006 Census: Family portrait: Continuity and change in Canadian families and households in 2006: Findings

• More young adults aged 20 to 29 living in the parental home

Profile of Canadian families and households: Diversification continues, 2001 Census (Analysis series)

• More children living with common-law parents

Classroom instructions

1. Working independently or in groups, students should first examine the data looking for the number of children in each age group and the resulting demand for or impact on specific programs like day care, family assistance, schooling in different communities (questions A and B on the worksheet).
2. Identify a social or educational policy issue related to the number of children of various age groups living at home, that has recently been discussed in your local media. Explore the issue as a class, identify the interest groups (or stakeholders) and their stated positions, and outline the development of the issue and its resolution (if possible).
3. Working as individuals or groups the students will then manipulate the data, identify the areas in their province or territory where the population factors underlying the issue are different, and speculate on the outcome of the same issue in these areas (questions C and D). Students will also analyse the resolution of the issue in the community and the quality of the data (questions E and G).
4. Discuss the activity as a class and mark individual assignments.

Enrichment

Help the students participate in the local discussion by writing letters to the media or making presentations to community groups.

Please e-mail comments or examples of how you used this exercise in your class.