2016 Census Adult Education Kit – Activity 2: The census process

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• Overview
• Specific learning objectives
• Materials
• Activity
• Modifications
• Next steps

Overview

In this activity, students will learn about the process involved in completing the Census of Population. They will also learn about the requirement to complete the census and the support available to help them do so.

Estimated completion time: 60 to 90 minutes

Census knowledge

• Learn about the process and obligation to complete the 2016 Census of Population.
• Gain an understanding of how they will receive information about the census and how they can learn more.
• Explain part of the census process to someone who is unfamiliar with it.

Specific learning objectives

Listening

• Understand factual data, some implied meanings, simple advice, and suggestions. (Canadian Language Benchmark 5)

Speaking

• Ask for and give simple, informal advice. (Canadian Language Benchmark 5)

Reading

• Understand simple interviews or dialogues. (Canadian Language Benchmark 5)
• Receive key information from short letters. (Canadian Language Benchmark 4)

Writing

• Record names, addresses, numbers, directions and other details with correct spelling, in legible handwriting. (Canadian Language Benchmark 5)

Essential employment skill areas

• Read letters, find information
• Write, record information
• Use documents, create a checklist
• Communicate orally

Materials

Supplies

• Pens or pencils

Handouts

• Sample census letter
• Census letter dialogue
• Census letter worksheet
• Census letter worksheet – Answers (for teacher)
• Census vocabulary

Activity

1. As a class, create a list of tasks that are important for new Canadians to know how to accomplish. These should somehow involve government services.
   Possible examples
   • Finding a family doctor
   • Registering children for school
2. Tell students that completing the census is something all households in Canada are legally required to do.
   If necessary, refer back to the previous activity to review the purpose of the Census of Population.
3. Provide students with a copy of the Sample census letter, and Census letter dialogue handouts.
   Make sure students understand that the letter is a sample only. The telephone numbers provided are fictitious, for the purpose of role play and reference. Students can go to the 2016 Census website for information about the census throughout the year, including up-to-date information about telephone numbers or resources that will be available closer to May 2016, when the census will be conducted.
4. Read the Census letter dialogue as a class, listen to a pre-recorded version of two people reading the dialogue, or have students work in pairs to read through the dialogue together, depending on student ability.
   Encourage students to point to the specific areas of the sample letter as the access code, website, telephone number and Census Help Line (CHL) are mentioned in the dialogue.
5. Ask students to highlight any unfamiliar words or expressions and discuss them with a partner, or use the Census vocabulary handout to determine meaning and use.
6. Students can work in pairs or individually to complete the Census letter worksheet handout.

Modifications

If students require additional support:

• Break the dialogue into shorter sections and divide the class into small groups. Ask each group to read and discuss their section of the dialogue and then share what they learned with the class as a whole.

If students require an additional challenge:

• Encourage students to rewrite portions of the dialogue, incorporating terms from the Census vocabulary handout.
• Cut the dialogue into strips, mix them up and have students place them in the correct order, write new responses, or add new questions and answers about the census to the dialogue.

Next steps

• Have the students role play, by calling a fictitious number to ask for a paper copy of the census or to ask about the census questions or process. Ask one student to act as the Census Help Line operator and the other as the caller, and then ask them to change roles.
• If resources are available, ask students to summarize and record what they've learned about completing the census and getting help. This could be presented as a public service announcement or as a news program interview with a person living in Canada.