Using Datasets Outside the Math Classroom

Teachers are often intimidated by data and don't necessarily think to incorporate MATH in their humanities lesson. But using datasets gives you the ability to dive deeper into root causes of a pattern or issue. Since it can be intimidating for teachers to think about this without support, I'd like to lead an activity on datasets and how to incorporate them into the classroom.

Data Is Plural is a weekly subscription to receive datasets about an infinite number of topics.

1. First, we will analyze and discuss a dataset together as a staff. The following dataset is taken from the Data is Plural Archive.

Teachers need to experience looking at data as a learner before they can explore using data as a teacher.

The COVID-19 School Data Hub, which launched last week, is “a central database for educators, researchers, and policymakers to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic shaped students’ modes of learning in 2020-21.” The project’s team, led by economist Emily Oster, has gathered data on learning models (in-person, virtual, or hybrid) used by public schools and districts at various points in time, their masking policies, and reported COVID-19 cases. The datasets can be downloaded in bulk or by state. The coverage and granularity vary by topic and state; the project’s documentation describes the collection methods and availability.