Since the tech boom in the late 20th century, data has transformed our world. Our students need to be able to read, analyze and communicate with data. Not only is working with data a component of the Next Generation Learning Standards and featured on assessments across the curriculum, but understanding and interpreting data is a fundamental skill of modern life.
If looking at Excel spreadsheets makes your eyes glaze over, and you worry it might have the same effect on your students, choose data relevant to them and present it visually. Forget the boilerplate “how many apples” example and instead look for data on climate change, New York-centric statistics or something fun. Your students will be naturally more interested in data on a topic they care about.
If you’re new to data literacy, “What’s Going on in This Graph,” from The New York Times Learning Network, can give you a head start. Each week, the site shares a graph, map or chart from the newspaper with guided student questions. Every Wednesday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., students can join a live online discussion about that week’s graph. The archive of previous graphics is also available. The content can be scaled up or down to reach a range of age groups.
“Making Data Literacy Fun for Students” demonstrates step-by-step how elementary school students can create a personal infographic using emojis.
So much data is available online that you can find nearly any topic related to your curriculum. Here are some of my favorite sites for data sources:
For a lighthearted approach, the Squirrel Census features data collected while trying to document every squirrel in Central Park.
Or hunt on your own using Google’s dataset search.
Fun sources for stats--like the Squirrel Census--can make literacy more engaging.
Consider student-centered options. You can allow students to select data sets on a topic of their choice within your guidelines. Or they can collect the data themselves through an observation study or by designing and administering their own surveys. Even with data found online, students can create their own visual designs and import them into presentations.
Technology tools can easily compile and create data visualizations. Students can create a survey with Google Forms that auto-populates the data into Google Sheets. Once the student has a student-created data file or a data set file found online, the student can import it into either Google Classroom or Canva and choose options such as pie charts, bar graphs or mind maps to easily visualize the data. Google applications work seamlessly together, while Canva offers posters, infographics and attractive designs.
Data literacy lends itself to cross-curricular projects and collaboration. A 5th-grade teacher in East Harlem, now retired, embarked on an engaging analysis that examined the number of car accidents involving pedestrians in the school neighborhood after a student was injured.
The project incorporated science, arts, technology, social studies, math and ELA standards, and it culminated with students crafting their own safety recommendations and presenting them to local politicians.
Sandy Scragg is an instructional technology specialist with more than 15 years of experience in New York City public schools.