Data literacy, an important goal for social studies education, involves teaching students how to comprehend, analyze, interpret, evaluate, create, and argue with data and data visualizations such as timelines, maps, and graphs. Digital data visualizations support rapid inquiry and explorations that would be difficult on paper - such as adding data…

Social studies instruction using a variety of data sources engages elementary school children in relatively autonomous collecting, organizing, and evaluating of data--processes necessary for exercising sound judgment and taking appropriate action. (RM)

Reviews how census data are used every day to make decisions in businesses, government agencies, and community organizations. Identifies key tools used in demographic analysis, suggesting applications of demographic data at a local level. Concludes with ideas for student activities, including guidelines for creating a community profile. (LS)

One aspect of children's daily lives--the school itself--is often ignored as a source of readily available data for student activities. School-based research activities that require students to collect, organize, and interpret data are described. For example, students conduct research on how students travel to and from school?

How museums have changed to accommodate young children is described, the importance of pre-visit preparations is discussed, and strategies and activities to enhance the concepts gained from museum experiences are presented. (RM)

Folktales as reflections of a culture provide many kinds of information for social studies that are unmatched in the elementary school. However, teachers must be alert to the potential of folktales to present unintended or erroneous information. (RM)

Argues that using census data allows students to practice doing history, and points out the growing importance of quantitative social history as a rationale for including more census data in history courses. Describes information to be found in various census products, suggesting ways history teachers might use census data in the classroom. (LS)

Shows how census data illustrated in pie charts, bar graphs, line graphs, and a map can be used in teaching students to read and interpret large amounts of information about the community, state, and country. Provides examples from "An Advance Look at the 1990 Census" (World Eagle) and suggests activities and discussion questions. (LS)

A child's immediate environment provides an ideal data source for initial mapping experiences. How teachers can help pre-school and primary school children make block maps, picture maps, and drawn maps is discussed. (RM)

The goal of this mini-unit is to teach elementary students economic concepts related to consumerism and to develop problem-solving skills. Students test a product such as sugarless bubble gum and study how it is advertised. The students then make their own advertisement for the product. (RM)

Uses microfilm copies of the 1880 and 1900 census records which tallied information about Laura Ingalls Wilder and her family to teach about using census data. Suggests activities that develop vocabulary skills, teach document analysis, utilize map skills, and require research and synthesis skills. (LS)