Teaching with Data in the High School Classroom

1. Teaching with Data in the High School Classroom National Council for the Social Studies November 22, 2013 Lynette Hoelter lhoelter@umich.edu

2. From Lynette… … a HUGE thank you to Margaret and Jean for giving this presentation! Feel free to use, modify, or share these slides as needed. My contact information for any follow-up issues: lhoelter@umich.edu 734 615-5653 (w)

3. Presentation Outline: • How does using data fit with C3 Framework? • Whatis data? • Why use data? • When should I use data? • How can I use data? (“But… isn’t that hard? This isn’t math class, you know!”) • Wherecan I find data and tools?

4. Fit with College, Career & Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards • “Now more than ever, students need the intellectual power to recognize societal problems; ask good questions and develop robust investigations into them; consider possible solutions and consequences; separate evidence-based claims from parochial opinions; and communicate and act upon what they learn.” (C3 Framework, pg. 6)

5. Specifically… • Developing questions and planning inquiries • Applying disciplinaryconcepts and tools • Evaluating sources and using evidence • Communicating conclusions and taking informed actions. Each of the dimensions can be enhanced to some degree with data use.

6. Taking a step back: What do we mean by “data”? • Definitions differ by context. For example: • Analysis of newspaper articles, blogs, Twitter feeds, commercials, etc. looking for themes • The result of an in-depth interview or observation • Information from medical tests, experiments, and other scientific exercises • For this presentation, “data” refers to summary information presented numerically in graphs, charts, or tables and the underlying survey results or administrative records.

7. Why use data? • In addition to the hand-in-glove fit with the C3 framework, using data in sociology courses (or sociological data in any course): • Applies sociology to “real life” • Active learning makes content more memorable • Demonstrates how social scientists work • Builds quantitative literacy in a non-threatening context

8. Quantitative Literacy • Another way to think about the C3 dimensions • Skills learned and used within a context • Reading and interpreting tables or graphs and to calculating percentages and the like • Working within a scientific model (variables, hypotheses, etc.) • Understanding and critically evaluating numbers presented in everyday lives • Evaluating arguments based on data • Knowing what kinds of data might be useful in answering particular questions

9. Importance of QL • Availability of information requires ability to make sense of information coming from multiple sources • Use of evidence is critical in making decisions and evaluating arguments: e.g., risks related to disease or treatment, political behaviors, financial matters, costs/benefits of buying a hybrid • Understanding information is prerequisite for fully participating in a democratic society

10. When to Include Data ALL the time!!!!! (Or at least whenever you feel like it…Seriously!)

11. YOU don’t need to be a statistics guru • Start class with a data-based news article • Have students interpret charts/graphs from popular media and critique news articles • Require empirical evidence to support claims in essays • Question banks and exercises allow students to work with surveys and the resulting data • Have students collect data – even in-class polls! • Engage students by having them find maps, graphs, or other data that provide examples of course content

12. Tools for Teachers • “Quick facts” • Visualizing data • Interesting statistics • Public opinion • Quantitative news blogs • Pre-made exercises, pedagogical examples • Collections of resources

13. Visualizing Data • Social Explorer • CensusScope • Visualizing Economics • Storytellingwithdata

14. Visualizing Data Using Animations • Gapminder • $1 Trillion Video • Survival Curve

15. Relevant Statistics • Worldometers(www.worldometers.info/) • USA Right Now (www.usarightnow.com) • Population Pyramids of the World (populationpyramid.net/) • US Census (factfinder2.census.gov)

16. Public Opinion Data • Roper Center for Public Opinion Research www.ropercenter.uconn.edu • Gallup: www.gallup.com • NORC reports & data:www.norc.org/Research/DataFindings • Pew Research Center: www.pewresearch.org • Fact Tank, Reports, Datasets, Interactives

17. Quantitative News Blogs & Quick Facts • TeachingWithData.org – Data in the News • U.S. Census Newsroom • Data360 • The Economist: Graphic Detail Blog • Pew Research Center: Fact Tank • USA Today Snapshots • FiveThirtyEight(Nate Silver) • FloatingSheep.org Use of terms “Soda,” “Pop,” and “Coke” from The Invisible Borders that Define American Culture, Data360

18. Collections of Resources • TeachingWithData.org • Social Science Data Analysis Network • ICPSR: Resources for Instructors • Data-driven Learning Guides (Short Exercises) • Science Education Resource Center (Carleton College – pedagogical materials)

19. Data can be FUN!