One of the most important aspects of teaching is making the subject matter relevant to the students.  The most common way to show relevance is to take an interdisciplinary approach to teaching.  The lessons that I have provided creates links between mathematics, collaborative learning, multiculturalism, and creative writing to social studies in a middle school setting.  Publishing these lessons on the Internet allows other educators to see how there are connections between subjects like social studies and math.
    Since 1790 the census has shown the development of our country through statistics.  An understanding of how the census works allows students to see the changes in the dynamics of our country through a different perspective.  The increase in immigration during the early 1900's, which can be seen through census figures, caused problems for both the new immigrants and the Americans.  Currently we live in an extremely diverse country.  The student's understanding of this division of the government and the history that can be seen through it can be significant in the growth of this nation.