US Census provides free resources to teach analytics in schools
The US Census Bureau has revamped its Statistics in Schools programme to provide downloads of hundreds of new activities and resources aimed at teaching data analytics in US schools, based on socio-economic data gleaned from real-life Census data. Subjects covered include geography, social studies, history, maths and sociology and students and teachers can access online databases, images, videos and maps. The free resources fit into the national #GoOpen campaign that encourages sharing of free copyright-compliant resources.

Dive Brief:

The United States Census Bureau’s Statistics in Schools program now has hundreds of new activities and resources for teachers and students in kindergarten through 12th grade using real-life Census data.

Ed Tech Magazine reports the redesign was meant to fit better into current classrooms that operate under the Common Core State Standards and with 1:1 device programs, keeping in mind the demand for data analysis skills in today’s economy.

The free activities span geography, social studies, history, math and sociology, and while some require students to use computers and work with databases, others can be completed with just paper and pencil.

Dive Insight:

Students naturally engage more fully with materials that provide real-world connections. Rather than making up math problems for worksheets, teachers can ask students to solve problems using real scenarios that require those same skills and equations. That’s the theory behind an algebra-based physics course developed by former New Jersey physics teacher Bob Goodman, who now directs the New Jersey Center for Teaching and Learning, where he trains teachers to give this physics course even if they don’t have a background in the subject matter.

The Census bureau’s free resources also fit into a national GoOpen campaign, which encourages schools to share high-quality, free resources that are not restricted by copyright or other use agreements. Other open data sets for statistical analysis include data.gov/education, Project Open Data and the College Scorecard.