Getting Started with Data Lens

Data Lens excercises are brief, slow, and intentional observation-focused activities. Find out how and why to use them with your students.

How-to: Each "Week" includes a timely global map that may open a discussion into a relevant classroom unit of study or can stand alone as an activity that, when used regularly, may help to increase data literacy skills in your classroom. Download the Teacher Guide, print or allow students digital access to the Student Worksheet, and open the Slides to facilitate. The activity facilitation and instructions stay mostly the same week to week, making implementation relatively simple.

Find the maps and short activities here or sign up to receive them in your inbox about every other week. You do not need to do them in order. Practicing these 10-20 minute observation exercises often, you might notice:

• Improved observation skills: Students enhance their ability to observe deeply and make sense of complex data.
• Stronger support for conclusions: Visual evidence becomes a cornerstone of student observations and inferences.
• Boosted engagement: Watch as students ask more thoughtful questions, build on each other’s ideas, and actively listen to their peers.
• Shifted classroom culture: Create an environment where curiosity thrives, students feel heard, and the fear of “wrong answers” is replaced with open-ended exploration.
• Slower-paced learning: Promote a shift away from the rush for the “right” answer, encouraging deep reflection and discovery.

Purpose: Modern innovations in data visualization and infrastructure have made large datasets accessible to the public. Students must learn how to interpret these visualizations to excel in standardized testing and make informed decisions in today’s data-driven world. These activities equip teachers with tools to help their students engage with and understand complex scientific data.