FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  May 28, 2008
CONTACT: Matthew T. Reitzel, (605) 773-3615

Fourth graders reveal interests in State Historical Society census

PIERRE, S.D. – Math, blue, pizza and 5. Those are some of the favorites of South Dakota fourth graders.

The South Dakota State Historical Society-Archives, for the third time, once again offered a census the past school year for fourth grade students. The census asked 20 questions for the students to answer. 

The Archives’ goal was to have 1,000 fourth graders take the census this year. To help reach that goal, the Archives offered a presentation of historical images and maps of South Dakota to one of the classes that participated in the project. 

This past school year, 1,067 fourth graders in 52 schools took the census. The class (drawn at random) that received the presentation was Carolyn Shearer’s fourth graders with the McCook Central School District in Salem.

“The South Dakota State Historical Society is very grateful to those fourth grade teachers who used their time to give the census to their students,” said Matthew T. Reitzel, manuscript archivist and creator of the school census project. 

“The census offered fourth grade students the chance to learn the value and purpose of census data,” Reitzel said. “Censuses are vital historical tools for researchers and genealogists. The fourth graders learned how to collect census data and see how that data is compiled.” 

The following data was collected:  28 percent of the students listed math as their favorite subject, 23 percent noted blue as their favorite color, 23 percent listed pizza as their favorite food, and 18 percent picked the number 5 when having to choose numbers 1 through 10.  

“Coincidentally, math, the color blue, pizza, and the number 5 were the top choices among fourth graders the past two years,” Reitzel noted.

Travel wise, 67 percent of the fourth graders had been to Mt. Rushmore, 57 percent to the Corn Palace, and 57 percent to the Missouri River. Out of those who took the census, 79 percent were born in South Dakota.  The highest percentages of those born out of state were 14 percent from North Dakota and 10 percent from Minnesota.

In all, 37 percent of the students lived more than five miles from their school, while 27 percent were less than four blocks away from school. Only 11 percent of the students were left handed. Of those asked, 60 percent played a musical instrument and 85 percent owned a pet.

Concerning future professions, 12 percent wanted to become a football player, 10 percent a veterinarian, 8 percent a teacher and 6 percent a doctor.

For complete census results, go to the State Historical Society’s Web site at www.sdhistory.org and click on “4^th Grade School Census” under “In the Spotlight.”