Authentic & Relevant Data Repositories
Educational Data Sites
Here is a list of some great data and data activity repositories that are specifically curated and developed for educational audiences.
DATA PUZZLE PIECES
Each Puzzle Piece includes 1) an embedded way to play with and explore the dataset, 2) context about the data and the scientists behind the data points, and 3) strategies to connect Puzzle Pieces to additional resources, including their scaffolded Data Puzzle lessons.
Data Biographies introduce curated datasets or dynamic data visualizations for middle and high school classrooms. They are not lesson plans, but are launchpads designed to support the integration of complex data into the classroom. Each Data Biography includes background information designed to help educators explore the data and determine potential uses in various classroom contexts.
HHMI website dedicated to “real science, real stories, and real data to engage students in exploring the living world.” Includes multiple different datasets and data-based activities to help students engage with data while learning content.
DATA NUGGETS
Data-based tiered activities for a variety of life and environmental science topics. Each Data Nugget includes 3 levels of engagement with graphing data, and has a description of the scientist(s) who collected the data.
POLAR-ICE DATA STORIES
Real-world data-based activities that utilize different data design patterns while introducing students to the scientists and the research that lead to the data collected.
MY NASA DATA (Earth Systems Data Explorer)
Datasets relating to the atmosphere, biosphere, cryosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, earth as a system as well as mini-lessons, lesson plans, and Story Map data visualizations.
THE GLOBE PROGRAM DATA
View, graph and export GLOBE data from around the world with the GLOBE Visualization System. With this system, you can use various filters to find both contemporary measurements and historical data ranging back to 1995.
Datasets relating to the El Nino, sea level, coral bleaching, water quality, and ocean acidification as well as curriculum activities with a scaled approach to learning and easy-to-use data tools.
YOUCUBED DATA TALKS
Short 5-10 minute activities, with prompting questions and provided data visualizations, to help students develop data literacy. Science-based to life-based topics, and all are classroom-vetted.
DATACLASSROOM
Growing Resource Library of science and math relevant datasets and pre-made activities to use real-world data and an interactive graphing interface to learn content and concepts. *Everything is FREE for 90 days! Check it out and let me know if you have any questions. Happy to share insights and/or connect you with Aaron to learn more.
TUVA LABS
Rich repository of science, math, and social studies relevant datasets and various instructional strategies to teach with real world data (note, they require a Premium subscription to access many) as well as free, online data graphing tools. *Tools & features are always FREE. Check it out and let me know if you have any questions. Happy to share insights and/or connect you with Harshil to learn more.
CODAP
Repository of math, science, social studies, and language arts relevant datasets as well as free, online data graphing tools.
General Data Sites / Data Portals
Here is a list of some interesting dataset sites. While they are not developed for an educational audience, they can certainly be used in educational settings (depending on the data skills of your students and the purpose of the interactions with data).
OUR WORLD IN DATA
Website dedicated to visualizing publicly available data about living standards, health, poverty, disease, hunger, climate change, inequality, and other topics. Datasets are available to download.
VISUALIZING HEALTH
A website dedicated to making health-related data visualizations and to promoting best practices when communicating health data.
GOOGLE PUBLIC DATA
Repository of different publicly available datasets related to a variety of social science, public health, economic, and other factors.
DATA AND STORY LIBRARY
Online repository of data files and stories collected from a wide range of locations: student projects, posted sites, simulated data
UCLA LIBRARY DATA PORTALS
List of online data portals used by UCLA in various courses. Datasets relate to social and natural science content areas.
UNDATA
Collection of variety o world data from various different nations and sources. Note, not a fancy interface but lots of data to share.
DATA.GOV
Collection of all datasets developed by any federal agency in the USA. Similar sites exist for other nations (like data.gov.uk) or at smaller scales (like datasf.org for San Francisco or nyc.gov/data/ for New York City).
CENSUS BUREAU
The US Census Bureau makes their data available, including a wide range of demographics.
General Data Visualization Sites
Here is a list of some interesting sites dedicated to creating data visualizations. While they are not developed for an educational audience and the scope of the work may be far more than we need to include in most K-16 classrooms, if you want to geek out on data viz they can be fun to explor.
EVERGREENDATA
Books and blogs to help create effective charts using Microsoft Excel to better find and communicate your data story.
EXCELCHARTS.COM
Website dedicated to creating effective charts and information graphics using Microsoft Excel. Includes examples, tips, tricks, etc.
