State Data Map

Tech Tool: State Data Map

Overview

Brief Description of Tech Tool: Need a data set to get students comfortable with interpreting data? Look no further than Illuminations' State Data Map. With 11 sets of pre-ready data, students can practice describing and analyzing statistics.

Technical and Cost Considerations: This interactive tech tool from Illuminations is free, but keep in mind that flash is required. Teachers in 1:1 iPad classrooms should have students install Puffin Web Browser to help them work around this potential technological hiccup.

Evaluation

Description of Learning Activity: What you do with this activity depends on your needs. Since I am interested in connecting math and science in my classroom, I would probably use data sets with easy science applications. For example, discussions about federally-owned land could naturally lead into debate about the National Park Service, or the gasoline data set could help students think about where (in which states) environmental campaigns are most needed. The key here is that students are discussing and thinking about data. By talking about the numbers, they are forced to practice data analysis. 

1. Learning Activity Types

• LA-Practice - If teachers use this interactive the way I've described, their students will be practicing data analysis. This practice, at looking at different data sets, should hopefully build fluency and help them perfect their skills. 

2. What Mathematics Is Being Learned?

Standards

This tool meets the following math practices:

• CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
• CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP5. Use appropriate tools strategically.

As I am aiming to connect math and science, this activity could fit (the way I have described using it) with the following Grade 5 Next Generation Science Standards:

• 5-ESS3-1. Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment.

It also meets the following science practices:

4. Analyzing and interpreting data

5. Using mathematics and computational thinking

Proficiency Strands

• Procedural Fluency: Speaking honestly, these data sets are not likely to be used beyond one or two lessons. However, they can be use to build students' skills at interpreting data quickly and accurately. 

Additional Comments

One of the things that's so great about the State Data Map tool is that it is so flexible. Teachers can decide how they want to use it in their class. Do they want to guide their students through a structured analysis? Do they want to give data to students and then pose questions students need to answer? The possibilities are not endless, but they are quite extensive.  

3. How Is the Mathematics Represented?

Data is represented symbolically through the use of different colors to symbolize quantity; the darker the color, the greater the quantity. The median and quartiles are presented with a box and whiskers plot. Various menu options allow students to manipulate results. Totals for each state can also be adjusted by typing in new values. The map, accompanying box and whiskers plot and corresponding list do a good job of capturing data. Teachers may need to explain the gradient colors as no key is provided.

4. What Role Does Technology Play?

One of the advantages of this tool is the ease with which students can shift between different data sets. This flexibility and automation can also be a disadvantage however -- since the visual is made for them and the mean, median and quartiles have been calculated for them, students may not fully understand how the map is created and the summary figures (particularly how they are calculated). Another disadvantage is that there is not an easy way to import new data; students are limited to the data sets given (unless they take the initiative to input 50 different values).

Affordances of Technology for Supporting Learning

• Computing and Automating: The map and summary figures are created for students with the touch of a button. 
• Capturing and Creating: Should students choose to enter 50 individual values, they are able to create their own map and determine summary figures. 

5. How Does the Technology Fit or Interact with the Social Context of Learning?

As described, this is a discussion-based activity. Students generate the different maps based on data sets and discuss what the data tells them. However, a teacher could use it as an individual activity. For a formative assessment, students might have to click to select one of the data sets and then describe what they can say based off that data set.

6. Additional Comments

While Google Sheets also allows teachers to summarize data sets in maps, this tool is the easiest I've found when you want students to quickly bring up data and practice analysis. I would recommend using it just after you've introduced terms like mean and median to help students think more deeply about what those terms mean.