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The Promise and Practice of Teaching Data Literacy in Social Studies: A Companion Site 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. How do students learn with data visualizations? Reading data visualizations in print and online social studies texts can improve students' overall comprehension and quality of reasoning. And there is evidence to suggest that reading data visualizations helps students better understand historical and geographic context, multiple causation, and change over time — all important concepts for students to grasp in social studies subject areas. However, students may face significant challenges in trying to make sense of different kinds of data visualizations. This section provides insight into both benefits and challenges of reading timelines, maps, and graphs and charts. 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. 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.

Middle School World History & Geography

H1 THE WORLD IN TEMPORAL TERMS: HISTORICAL HABITS OF MIND

What is history?
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W1 WHG ERA 1 – THE BEGINNINGS OF HUMAN SOCIETY: BEGINNINGS TO 4000 BCE

What makes us human?
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How do humans adapt to changes?
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Are adaptations always improvements?
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WHG ERA 2 – EARLY CIVILIZATIONS AND CULTURES AND THE EMERGENCE OF PASTORAL PEOPLES, 4000 TO 1000 BCE AND WESTERN HEMISPHERE 4000 BCE to 1500 CE

What does it take to be a “civilization”?
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What do people have to gain from “outsiders”?
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W3 WHG ERA 3 – CLASSICAL TRADITIONS, WORLD RELIGIONS, AND MAJOR EMPIRES, 1000 BCE TO 300 CE

Is change always progress?
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How do people and governments gain power over other people?
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In what ways have religions and belief systems played a powerful force in people’s lives?
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How is power lost?
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BRIDGE TO ERA 4

What are compelling questions about the past?
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