What do people think of when they hear the word "census"? For some, the word prompts them to think of representation in Congress; others think of genealogy and family history. For still others, the census is viewed as something strange or foreboding. Yet for teachers and students, census records can help create a meaningful and relevant study of the past. This article describes how comparing questions from the 1920 Census and the 2020 Census can be a great jumping off point into a lesson on the importance of a national count and how Census questions reflect the prior decade.