The Promise and Practice of Teaching Data Literacy in Social Studies: A Companion Site Main Menu A Taxonomy of Data Visualizations Information can be visualized in multiple ways, from bar graphs to scatterplots, choropleth maps to distribution maps, timelines to time series. Designers can choose from an array of graphical elements such as points, lines, or icons used to represent data, and multiple aesthetic attributes such as color, shape, and size. Furthermore, designers can apply multiple combinations of titles, legends, and explanatory text to provide context for a data visualization. Given the almost dizzying array of data visualizations students may encounter in social studies, it is helpful to place them in categories related to the types of questions they will help us answer. Data Visualizations as Primary Sources Humans have been creating different types of data visualizations for centuries. Explore this collection of timelines, maps, graphs and charts to see what they reveal about the historical time and place in which they were produced. How should students analyze data visualizations in social studies? The challenges that data visualizations present, coupled with their prevalence in social studies texts, standardized assessments, in online social studies resources, and as sources of information in society, suggest that teaching with and about data visualizations in social studies is essential. This module provides guidance for how teachers can support students' data literacy for social studies. How do I help students create and integrate data visualizations for social studies? This page highlights several tools that are useful for data-based projects in social studies.  And accompanying each tool is a "minimal manual" that provides guidance for using the tool in social studies inquiry- and project-based learning. Project-Based Learning Activities for Data Literacy in Social Studies Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, nec constituto comprehensam te. Sea no affert nemore comprehensam, eum te purto soleat accusata. Ea est magna malis. No atqui iudico est. In vel propriae suavitate. Est homero timeam cu, novum persecuti mea an. Index of Lesson Plans This page contains a list of the minimal manuals and lessons found on this website. Minimal manuals are designed to be adapted to different grade levels and do not have a grade designation associated with them. Lesson plans are organized according to the school level for which they are designed. However, many of these lessons can be adapted for different grade levels.

What are the benefits and challenges to learning associated with different kinds of data visualizations?

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In module, Why teach data literacy in social studies?, you read that students can benefit from paying attention to data visualizations...However, research also indicates that most students don't pay attention to data visualizations...Even if they do they may face significant challenges.  Each section below provides a summary of some benefits and challenges associated with timelines, etc. 

Timelines
Timelines provide an overview of events....Students are expected to create timelines... The question is why should they create timelines? How does the exercise of creating timelines help students learn?...

As soon as person begins making timeline, they begin making choices about what to include -- and choices about what to leave out. In other words, they make choices about what events or developments are historically significant. And historical significance is a really important aspect of historical thinking. 

Have you ever felt upset that you didn't learn about something in a history class, or have your students ever asked you why you didn't learn about a historical topic? The topic probably wasn't addressed because the historian or teacher had a different idea that their audience about what is historically significant. According to Levesque, historians make choices about historical significance bases on the following...

Understanding the concept of historical thinking is important for understanding history, but it's not something that students will automatically know...

Timelines are useful for teaching other historical concepts too. Change over time...Causation...

But let's think about the timelines see in print and online texts.  Are they easy to read? Even though they may seem pretty simple and straightforward, there are actually aspects that can be quite confusing. Consider the following timeline, which is from... 

Graphs and Charts
Graphs and charts can tell a powerful story. Just consider this data documentary from Neil Halloran...

Graphs can also serve as powerful evidence for arguments...

However, reading graphs requires several different steps, and if there is a breakdown in comprehension for any one of the steps, it could negatively impact students' understanding.