Lesson overview

This lesson introduces students to the concept and purpose of the census. Through class discussions and collaborative activities, students will explore why the government collects population data and considers what types of questions best reflect a diverse society. They will then create their own census questions, compare them to those in an official census, and reflect on the importance of inclusive and representative data collection

Curriculum connections

• Social Studies / Civics and Citizenship / Geography: Explore the responsibilities of citizenship, evaluate how data collection informs equitable decision-making, and examine how various factors (social, economic, environmental, etc.) influence quality of life.
• Mathematics: Understand how data is collected and analyzed; assess the effectiveness and inclusivity of survey questions.
• Language Arts: Develop clear and inclusive survey questions; express and support opinions using evidence and logical reasoning.

Learning objectives

By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:

• Understand the purpose and function of the census.
• Identify key types of demographics, social, and economic information that are important for governments to collect.
• Explain how census data can support communities and inform public policy decisions.

Materials needed

• Whiteboard and markers, or a smartboard
• The 2026 Census of Population long-form questionnaire (2A-L)
• Census of Population quiz
  • Census of Population quiz on Kahoot
  • Census of Population quiz questions (student version)
  • Census of Population quiz questions (questions with answer key)
• Paper and pens/pencils for the exit ticket or poster activity
• Optional: Word cloud generator

Lesson procedure

1. Class discussion (15–20 minutes)

Prompt:
"If you were in charge of your city, province, territory or country, what information would you want to know about the people who live there?"

• Facilitate an open class discussion using the prompt.
• Encourage students to consider the needs of a community—such as education, health care, transportation, housing, and employment.
• Highlight how collecting this information helps ensure equitable policymaking and fair resource distribution.
• Discuss how data collection supports decision-making at both the local and national levels, particularly in addressing the needs of vulnerable populations.
• Use examples to illustrate real-world impact—for instance, if a community sees a significant rise in families with school-aged children, more schools or classrooms may be needed to meet demand.

2. Census question creation (15 to 20 minutes)

Instructions:

• In pairs or small groups, have students brainstorm 3 to 5 questions they believe a government should ask its citizens in a national census. Examples:
  • "What is your yearly income?"
  • "What are the ages of the people in your household?"
  • "What is your highest level of education?"
• Emphasize the importance of inclusivity and equity in question design.
  • Encourage students to consider factors that may vary across populations, such as access to healthcare, reliable transportation, internet availability, housing, or programs and services in languages other than English and French.

Wrap-up:

• Collect and display all student-generated questions, either by writing them on the board, projecting them, or using a word cloud generator to visualize common themes.
• Facilitate a short discussion:
  • Are there repeated topics or themes?
  • Which questions do students think are most important for informing public policy?
  • Are there any gaps—important topics that may have been overlooked?
  • How do these student-created questions compare to those asked in the official census?

3. Compare with the official census (15 to 20 minutes)

Instructions:

• Provide students with access to the 2026 Census of Population long-form questionnaire (2A-L).
• In small groups or as a class, have students compare their own questions with those from the official census.

Discussion questions:

• Which questions appear on both lists?
• What themes or priorities did students identify that are also reflected in the official census?
•  What topics did students suggest that are missing from the actual census?
• Why do students believe their question(s) should be included? How could it benefit Canadians or lead to better decision-making?

4. Kahoot quiz (10 to 15 minutes)

Activity:

• Play a Kahoot quiz to reinforce key concepts related to the census and its role in governance, policymaking, and community services.
• This activity serves as a fun and interactive review of what students have learned throughout the lesson.

5. What did you learn? (Optional – 10–15 minutes)

Option A:

• Have students complete an exit ticket by responding to a reflection prompt, such as: "What is one thing you learned about the census that surprised you?"
  This encourages personal reflection and helps reinforce key takeaways.

Option B:

• Have students create a mini poster that highlights their favourite question from the brainstorming activity.
• Posters should include the question, a brief explanation of its importance, and how it could help improve life for Canadians if added to the census.
• This option allows for creativity and deeper thinking about the impact of inclusive data.

Opportunities for assessment

• Participation in class discussion and group work
• Quality and thoughtfulness of student-generated questions
• Comparison and reflection on census questions
• Exit ticket or poster demonstrating understanding
• Follow-up research projects that use census data

Adaptations and differentiation

• Simplification: Group students into slightly larger teams to promote peer support. This allows the teacher to circulate more easily and provide targeted assistance where needed.
• Extension/Challenge: Encourage students to connect one of their census questions to a current event or issue in Canada. Ask them to cite a relevant news article or study and explain how the data could be used to address the issue.
• Support for Multilingual Learners: Incorporate visual supports such as word clouds, whiteboard brainstorming, and projected key terms. These tools give students more time to process vocabulary and understand key concepts through contextual cues.

Teacher tips

• Emphasize that Statistics Canada collects and shares census data to support decision-making by a wide range of groups, including Indigenous communities and organizations, governments, local and national businesses, community groups, and farm organizations.
• Use this lesson as an opportunity to discuss career planning, especially with older students. Census data can help individuals explore employment trends and career opportunities across different regions of Canada.
  • Consider showing this video: Video - Here's Why You Should Use Census Data to highlight real-world applications.

Lesson overview

Junior-level students will think about their class as a community and will consider how they are similar to other small groups of people who live in Canada. They will learn how data can be used to make sure people in communities have services to support their needs. They will make decisions for their class community, using survey data to inform those decisions.

Curriculum connections

• Mathematics
  • Collect data by conducting a survey about themselves or their community.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of how datasets can be samples of larger populations.
  • Read, interpret and draw conclusions from primary data.
• Social studies
  • Gain a basic understanding of the roles and responsibilities of local governments.
  • Begin to discuss how needs are met in communities.

Objectives

• Draw connections between the types of information gathered in a survey and how that information can be used to make decisions for the benefit of a community.
• Make decisions about allocating resources by using survey data to inform decisions.

Materials needed

• Board or poster paper
• Chalk or marker
• Handouts:
  • Classroom community questions
  • Take-home activity: Our Canadian class (optional)

Vocabulary

Census

A collection of information from every household in a country, on topics that are important to that country, that is used to help all levels of government, businesses, associations, community organizations and many others make decisions.

Census of Population

An enumeration of every household and person in Canada, conducted once every five years. Topics include age, marital status, household members and languages spoken.

Census reference day

The point in time relative to which census information is recorded. The reference day for the 2021 Census is May 11, 2021.

Data

Facts that can be studied and considered to form ideas or make decisions.

Population

The total number of people living in a given area.

Statistics

Numerical facts.

Survey

An activity where a specific group of people is asked a series of questions to find out information.

Lesson procedure:

Part 1: Getting started (15 to 30 minutes)

1. Write the following definition of "community" on the board or on a large piece of poster paper.

Community: A group of people who live in one particular area or who are considered as a unit because of their common interests, social group or nationality.

To explain the concept of community in a more visual way, you can also draw a simple diagram.

2. As a class, briefly discuss the definition.

If time allows, encourage students to add words or phrases to the definition. You can ask students to write their own words, phrases or definitions of community on the board, or provide them with sticky notes (Post-its) if you are using poster paper.

Guiding questions:

• Do you think our definition and this definition are similar or different? How?
• What kinds of things bring people together into a community? Is community just about where you live, or do community members share other things?
• Who is part of your community? How far does it extend?
• Is our class a community? Is it also part of another community?
• What other communities do you know? For example, can you name any First Nations or Métis settlements?

Part 2: Activity (30 to 45 minutes)

3. Tell students that the Government of Canada conducts a Census of Population every five years. Most households receive the short-form questionnaire, but a sample of households receive the long-form questionnaire, which also includes the questions from the short form. The census is conducted to get an overall picture of who lives in Canada at one specific point in time. This information is used to make decisions about the types of services and support that communities need.

The census asks questions about all people living in Canada on a specific day (census reference day), and topics include

• people's age
• marital status and relationships of people living in a household
• number of people living in a household
• languages spoken.

4. Ask students to work with a neighbour and think about some of the services that they have heard of or used and that are provided by the Canadian government.

Services may include

• schools and daycares
• emergency services, such as fire protection, police or medical services
• roads and public transit
• community services, such as health care, education or employment.

5. Ask students to think about their class as a small community within the larger community of their school. Tell students that they are going to answer a few questions inspired by the census. This will allow them to gather some information (statistics) about their class and class resources so that they can make decisions about services or resources that their class needs.

6. Distribute the Classroom community questions handout and read all of the questions aloud to the class before answering them. Ensure that students know that they should select only one answer for each question.

Alternatively, if time and classroom resources allow, you can input the questions from the Classroom community questions handout into a free online survey tool so that the survey can be completed on a computer or mobile device.

7. Read each question aloud and ask students to raise their hands when the answer applies to them. Count the number of raised hands, tally the student responses on the board and ask students to record the numbers on their handouts.

Alternatively, if time allows, divide students into groups to complete smaller tallies, and then add all the results together. Create class statistics or investigate small group survey results with the class as a whole.

Part 3: Consolidation of learning (15 to 30 minutes)

8. When the information has been collected and recorded, have students work in pairs or small groups to discuss and propose one service that their class needs.

Allow students to choose their own service, or provide groups with an assigned service category. (See below for survey category suggestions.)

Possible categories and proposed services

• Health
  "Most students take the bus or are driven to school in a car. We should have a longer recess, more gym time, or do yoga in class so we can get more exercise."
• Education
  "Seven out of 30 students in the class speak a language other than English or French. We should add some books written in those languages to the library or allocate time in class to learn more about their languages and cultures."

Modifications

If students require additional support, try the following:

• Reduce the number of topics or questions in the survey, or focus on a different topic every day for several days.

If students require an additional challenge, try the following:

• Encourage students to represent the data in different ways by calculating percentages, or by creating graphs, diagrams or infographics using online illustration tools.
• Ask students to consider how these data might change if the same students were asked the same questions in five years—what information would stay the same (e.g., birthdays) and what information would likely change (e.g., fewer people preferring to use a pen as technology advances)?
• Encourage students to create their own questions to learn more about their class, and include these questions in the discussion.

Next steps

To continue this activity, try the following:

• Ask another class (or several classes) in the school to complete the same activity, and compare the data.
• Have students read a book such as If the World Were a Village by David J. Smith and Shelagh Armstrong (ISBN-10: 1554535956, ISBN-13: 978-1554535958) or visit websites with a similar theme to further investigate how the characteristics and composition of a community (including a global one) may be represented numerically.
• Have students work together to select the top three proposals for services for the class; establish evaluation criteria, such as interest level in the class, long-term benefit, feasibility and cost to implement. When a single service has been selected, have students write a letter to the principal, school council or parent groups asking for support in implementing the service.

Optional take-home activity: Our Canadian class

Use the information students have gathered about their class to create a visual "snapshot" of their class as a Canadian classroom. Encourage students to represent details about their class in different ways (e.g., illustrations, written facts, graphs or charts, infographics) within a maple leaf outline. Once complete, the leaves can be cut out and posted in the school community, or scanned and shared on a class website or social media page.

Lesson overview

This lesson introduces students to the Census of Population and its importance in shaping communities across the country. Using an interactive Kahoot quiz, comic strips featuring diverse Canadian communities, and a reflective writing activity, students will explore how census data is used to make decisions that affect different regions and populations.

Curriculum connections

• Social Studies / Geography / Civics and Citizenship: Understand the purpose of the census and its role in shaping Canadian communities; explore regional differences in living conditions; develop awareness of civic responsibility.
• Language Arts: Interpret visual texts (e.g., comic strips); make inferences and draw conclusions from written and visual information; express ideas and understanding through reflective writing.

Learning objectives

By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:

• Explain the purpose and importance of the Census of Population.
• Recognize how census data reflects the diversity of Canadian communities, including urban, rural, and communities where many languages are spoken.
• Analyze and reflect on how census data informs government policies and community planning.

Materials needed

• Internet-connected device for Kahoot quiz (personal phones or computers)
• Census of Population quiz
  • Census of Population Quiz on Kahoot
  • Census of Population quiz questions (student version)
  • Census of Population quiz questions (answer key)
• Comic strips
  • Comic Strip 1: The Newcomer Family
  • Comic Strip 2: The Rural Household
  • Comic Strip 3: The Urban Apartment
• Pens or pencils
• Paper or sticky notes for exit tickets

Lesson procedure

Part 1: Kahoot quiz (15–20 minutes)

• Students play a Kahoot quiz covering the basics of the Census of Population — what it is, why it matters, and who participates.
• This activity activates prior knowledge and encourages students to discover key facts through gameplay.

Part 2: Comic strips and discussion (30–45 minutes)

• Distribute printed comic strips featuring 3 different Canadian communities.
• Each comic is followed by comprehension and reflection questions.
• Students can work individually, in pairs, or in small groups to explore the comics and answer the questions.
• Facilitate a class discussion to review answers and highlight how census data helps different communities in different ways.

Part 3: Exit ticket reflection (optional, 5–10 minutes)

• Students write a short response to one of the following prompts:
  • "One new thing I learned about the census is…"
  • "The census is important because…"
• Teachers may collect responses as an informal assessment or to check for understanding.

Opportunities for assessment

• Student participation and engagement during the Kahoot quiz and class discussions
• Completion and thoughtfulness of responses to comic strip questions
• Clarity and insight in exit ticket reflections

Adaptations and differentiation

• To simplify: Allow students to work in pairs or small groups to answer the reflection questions together.
• To extend: Challenge students with a class debate on privacy and data collection. For example: Was the person right to hesitate about filling out the census questionnaire?
• For multilingual learners (students whose first language is not English): Offer the option to give oral or typed responses. Allow students to discuss their ideas with a partner before writing to build confidence and understanding.

Lesson overview

In this lesson, students will become farm data detectives, just like the experts who support the Census of Agriculture. They will design agriculture-related questions, survey their classmates, and organize their data to create a simple bar graph that represents their findings.

While students will conduct their own mini-survey in class, they'll also learn that in Canada, agricultural data aren't collected in person— farmers across the country complete the Census of Agriculture themselves by completing their census questionnaire.

This activity introduces students to key concepts in data collection and analysis, reflecting how real agricultural data are gathered.

Curriculum connections

• Social Studies: Explore the role of agriculture and food production in Canada; understand how data support community planning and decision-making; develop awareness of Canadian identity.
• Math: Practice collecting data, creating simple graphs, and interpreting results.
• Language Arts: Develop oral communication skills and practice forming clear, purposeful questions.
• Science: Learn about food systems, agricultural practices, and how humans interact with the environment (e.g., through farming and land use).

Learning objectives

By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:

• Understand the purpose of the Census of Agriculture and how it helps support agriculture in Canada
• Develop and ask simple survey questions related to agriculture
• Collect, organize, and tally data from their classmates
• Create a basic bar graph to show their findings
• Interpret their results and make connections to how agricultural data are used at the national level.

Materials needed

• Chart or graphing paper (or an online graphing tool)
• Survey worksheet (see Appendix A)
• Clipboards (optional)
• Markers, rulers, pencils

Lesson procedure

1. Hook (10 minutes):

• Begin with asking the class the following question: "If you went to visit a farm, what questions would you like to ask the farmers?"
• Introduce the idea of the census, focusing on the Census of Agriculture, which takes place every 5 years in Canada.
• Explain that students will become "farm data detectives" for the day.

2. Model the activity (10 minutes):

• Share sample questions students could use for their classroom "Census of Agriculture":
  • What's your favourite fruit or vegetable?
  • Have you ever visited a farm? (Yes/No)
  • What would you grow if you had your own farm?
  • Which farm animal do you think we have the most of in Canada?
• Demonstrate how to collect answers using tally marks on a chart.
• Show how to turn tally data into a simple bar graph.

3. Student activity - conducting the survey (20 to 30 minutes):

• Each student chooses or is assigned one agriculture-related question.
• Students survey their classmates and record responses using tally marks.
• Once complete, students count and total their results.

4. Graphing and analyzing data (20 minutes):

• Students use their data to create a bar graph.
• As a class, display and discuss some of the graphs:
  • "What does this tell us about our class?"
  • "How might this kind of data help real farmers or the government make decisions?"

Opportunities for assessment

• Observe student engagement and accuracy during the survey process.
• Monitor participation in class discussions and question development.
• Review completed survey worksheets, including tally charts and bar graphs.
• Evaluate responses to the reflection question: "What did I learn about how collecting data helps us understand agriculture in Canada?"

Adaptations and differentiation

• To simplify: Encourage students to use yes/no questions and create bar graphs with support from a teacher or buddy.
• To extend: Challenge students to create a double bar graph, comparing responses between two groups (e.g., morning class vs. afternoon class, or students who like fruit vs. students who like vegetables).
• For multilingual learners: Show a finished example using one of the sample questions, give students sentence starters to help them talk or write, and pair them with a classmate who can help.

Teacher tips

• Remind students that the Census of Agriculture is more than just collecting numbers — it helps support farmers and the agricultural community.
• Use this lesson to highlight how important agriculture is in everyday life; from the food we eat to the jobs it supports and its role in Canada's economy.

Appendix A

Name:

Date:

My survey question:

Tally chart (keep track of how many people vote for each answer here)

Graph your results here:

Lesson overview

Kindergarteners and Grade 1 students will practise their counting skills while colouring. Just as the census counts people, they will count objects in a picture. They will also be introduced to concepts specific to First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities. Three themes are available: Counting Canada, Living in the North and Berry Counting.

Curriculum connections

• Mathematics
  • Demonstrate an understanding of basic numbers.
• Arts
  • Develop fine motor skills and consolidate understanding of colours.
  • Explore images from different cultures.
  • Identify basic forms.
• Geography
  • Identify Canada and its basic provincial and territorial boundaries.
  • Identify differences within Canadian landscapes and agriculture.

Learning objectives

• Gain a basic understanding of the census.
• Gain a basic understanding of Canadian geography.
• Be introduced to concepts specific to First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities

Materials needed

• Coloured pencils, markers or crayons
• Handouts:
  • Living in the North
  • Berry counting across Canada
  • Counting Canada

Status

This variant of the North American Product Classification System (NAPCS) Canada 2022 V1.0 was approved as a departmental standard on January 22, 2026. It replaces the NAPCS 2022 Version 1.0 - Manufacturing and Logging variant. This is the first update of the current variant, and it’s named “Variant of NAPCS Canada 2022 version 1.0 – Manufacturing and Logging - Update 1”.

The Annual Survey of Manufacturing and Logging Industries (ASML) is a survey of the manufacturing and logging industries in Canada. It is intended to cover all establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing and logging activities as well as some sales offices and warehouses which support these establishments.

The details collected include principal industrial statistics (such as revenue, salaries and wages, cost of materials and supplies used, cost of energy and water utility, inventories, etc.), as well as information about the commodities produced and consumed. Data collected by the ASML industries help measure the production of Canada's industrial and primary resource sectors, as well as provide an indication of the well-being of each industry covered by the survey and its contribution to the Canadian and Provincial economy.

Within Statistics Canada, the data are used by the Canadian System of National Accounts, the Monthly Survey of Manufacturing and Prices programs. The data are also used by the business community, trade associations, federal and provincial departments, as well as international organizations and associations to profile the manufacturing and logging industries, undertake market studies, forecast demand and develop trade and tariff policies. The manufacturing variant was created to capture additional details on products that NAPCS Canada 2022 Version 1.0 would otherwise not have collected. By adding an extra (eighth) digit to the classification, additional detail can be collected.

Detail changes to the standard classification are described in the introduction of each new version of NAPCS Canada.

To simplify the presentation of this variant, only the part of the standard classification (NAPCS Canada) directly related to ‘manufacturing’ (manufactured goods) is kept, and the rest of NAPCS Canada categories (non-manufactured goods, and services, except manufacturing services are excluded from the structure of this variant (these are NAPCS Canada groups 511 to 871).

Changes to the Variant of NAPCS Canada 2022 Version 1.0 - Manufacturing and Logging

The Variant of NAPCS Canada 2022 version 1.0 – Manufacturing and Logging has been updated as of January 22, 2026 to help the Annual Survey of Manufacturing and Logging Industries (ASML) program with improving the measurement of the production and use of manufactured homes  and components thereof, vaccines for human use, and Helium. The updated variant is named Variant of NAPCS Canada 2022 version 1.0 – Manufacturing and Logging - Update 1. There are six (6) variant codes that have been expanded to fourteen (14) codes as shown in the Code Changes table below:

Description of changes in the classification, including Codes, Titles, Classes, Subclasses and Detailed categories (Based on GSIM)

Hierarchical structure

The structure of the NAPCS Canada 2017 variant for Manufacturing and Logging is hierarchical. It is composed of five levels.

level 1: group (three- digit standard codes)
level 2: class (five-digit standard codes)
level 3: subclass (six-digit standard codes)
level 4: detail (seven-digit standard codes)
level 5: detail (eight-digit variant codes)