Indiana Social Studies GHW.3.5
The Standard
Analyze population trends in the local community, and suggest the impact of these trends on the future of the community such as development, employment, health, and schools.
2026 Indiana Academic Standards: K-12 Social Studies
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students compare local population counts and age groups from two dates. They use those patterns to predict possible changes in housing, jobs, health care, or school needs.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can cite two local figures to describe a population trend. They can explain a likely effect on a school, clinic, or housing plan and say what the data cannot prove.
Common Misconceptions
- A growing population does not mean every age group grew. A larger share of older residents does not always mean their number rose. Population counts alone cannot show why people moved.
How to Assess It
- Show local age-group counts from two census years. Ask students to name the group with the largest increase and predict one effect on a school or clinic, using two counts.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs local census age-group counts from 2010 and 2020; have them build bar charts and circle the biggest change.
Ask: If the number of local children rises, which school expense might change first? Use one figure from the chart.
Hand out four claims about a local population graph; teams label each supported or unsupported and point to the numbers.
Read a local school board enrollment report, then write a two-sentence note on whether its classroom plan matches the trend.
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Printable GHW.3.5 Worksheet
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