Students begin to explore data and understand that data can be a key component to making compelling arguments. In the first lesson, the teacher provides two different data sets (1+2), and students then evaluate the effectiveness of the stories being presented using data.
Essential Questions:
What is data?
How do we tell a story using data?
The module has one lesson, which is the focus on Step 3 of student civics projects - what data do students need for their projects, and how do they create inquiry questions? The lesson shows student exemplar projects using data, and guides them through a process to come up with questions and data needs.
Essential Questions:
Inquiry questions - what questions do we have?
What data could be useful?
The lessons in this module introduce students to important data science vocabulary concepts and words such as Metadata, which is data about data. (Similar to a description of a book will describe what is in a book, metadata describes what is the data table, where is it from, and what each piece of data represents.) The other concept students learn is how to move data from one platform to another. Students can sometimes cut and paste data into Google Sheets, or they may need to export it to a common format called “Comma-Separated Values” that can be imported to Google Sheets. The idea that data can be brought from one platform to another is an important concept for students to learn.
Essential Question:
How can we find useful data that already exists?
This module reviews survey design and dissemination. It delves into how to generate questions that will create both qualitative and quantitative data points and how to create effective surveys. Students learn survey basics, and practice testing their questions. They also learn about sampling in order to get unbiased data.
Essential Questions:
Inquiry questions - what questions do we have?
What data could be useful?
This lesson in this module provides an overview of the features of Google Sheets and spreadsheets in general. Students learn what a spreadsheet is, how to sort and format data, how to import data from other sources, and how to create a spreadsheet from Google Form Survey results.
Essential Questions:
How do we organize our data so it is meaningful and accurate?
How do we use tools like Google Sheets to make data management easier?
This lesson presents students with directions for creating charts using Google Sheets. This lesson can be expanded upon by teaching students multiple ways of visualizing data and then asking them to consider the strengths and shortcomings of the various ways that are out there.
Essential Question:
How can we show data in a way that is meaningful and tells a story?