The first of these interactive tools is now available from ABS Datasets page on the Education Services website. It examines the Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations using Census 2006 data and allows students to see the very different shapes of these pyramids and hence appreciate the very different demographics.

Over the coming months Education Services will be updating all the Geography Classroom Activities that include Age-Sex Pyramids to include this new tool. It will now be much easier for students to compare the population characteristics of different areas.

With the current Global Financial Crisis in the headlines, you may interested in examining unemployment figures over time. Dataset E4, 'Unemployment', presents the unemployment rate (as at December each year) for males and females separately from 1994 to 2008.

You may want to compare these figures with more recent data. Key National Indicators provides a useful summary of important data including unemployment rates (click on Labour Force and Demography), in a convenient and easy to use summary form. For further detail, there is a direct link to the publication that includes the original data.

Do you have a classroom idea that uses ABS data or ABS Education products? Let us know at education@abs.gov.au and we can share it with schools around Australia.

ii. Information Tables: A range of tables, some with summary information give teachers the option of a paper version of the CensusAtSchool data. The tables do not require student access to computers and are prepared in Microsoft Word in print-friendly format. Students can conduct gender, year level and state analysis and make international comparisons without having to generate a sample from another country themselves.

iii. Use the 2008 & 2006 Results tables: The Results tables present summary statistics of the information collected from students during the data collection phases. Students can choose between the 2006 only, 2008 only, or 2006 and 2008 comparison tables to conduct investigations. They may wish to copy the data into Excel prior to beginning analysis.

iv. Case studies and student work from Community area: Includes assignments and activities based on CensusAtSchool data. These have been generously provided by teachers from across Australia. Use them as a template for your own assignment or pick out the bits you want to modify and use.

v. CensusAtSchool Newsletter classroom activity ideas: Browse through previous copies of the CensusAtSchool Newsletter to get some quick activity ideas for the classroom.

These workshops are computer based, hands-on and absolutely FREE. Since December, 2005 all ABS publications have been available to download without charge from the ABS website. This website now includes all publications from 1994 onwards and there are over 1 million pages. This means two things: firstly we are very likely to have what you are looking for but secondly, you may need some tips on how to find it. We are constantly updating and improving the ABS website, and making our data easier to find. In these sessions you will learn how to navigate the ABS website, gain tips on using ABS data in the classroom and discover resources developed especially for teachers.

To register your interest or for more information about these workshops please contact the appropriate person in your state, or call Education Services on 1800 623 273 or send an email to education@abs.gov.au.

Information Workshops for Teacher Librarians

Have you caught up with Education Services at a conference yet? Since the last newsletter staff have been involved in Economic conferences in Sydney and Brisbane as well as the School Library Association of Victoria conference in Melbourne.