Teaching Data Literacy in Social Studies : Principles and Practices to Support Historical Thinking and Civic Engagement

“Shreiner demonstrates how we use data visualizations to understand and construct arguments about the world around us and provides concrete ideas for how to approach teaching it in social studies classrooms. This book makes teaching data literacy feel relevant, urgent, and―most importantly―doable.” ―Sarah McGrew, University of Maryland

Readers will find practical advice and strategies for teaching data literacy in today's K–12 social studies classroom.

We are surrounded by data and data visualizations in our everyday lives. To help ensure that students can critically evaluate data―and use it to promote social justice―this book outlines principles and practices for teaching data literacy as part of social studies education.

The author shows how social studies content and skills can enhance both data literacy and its importance in supporting students’ historical thinking and civic engagement. Shreiner also provides a rationale for including data literacy in the social studies curriculum and highlights the special knowledge and skills social studies teachers offer in promoting a critical, humanistic form of data literacy.

Recognizing that many social studies teachers feel poorly equipped to teach data literacy, this book offers practical advice, summaries of the benefits and challenges to students, guidance for incorporating data literacy across elementary and secondary grades, and strategies to help students analyze, use, and create data visualizations.

Book Features:

• Helps social studies teachers and teacher educators understand the value of teaching data literacy.
• Highlights the special role social studies teachers can play in supporting critical, humanistic data literacy.
• Synthesizes research and scholarship on teaching data literacy in social studies.
• Provides a suggested scope and sequence for incorporating data literacy into the social studies curriculum across grade levels.
• Offers multiple ideas for resources and tools that can support data literacy instruction in social studies.

Tamara L. Shreiner is an associate professor in the History Department and the director of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences PK–12 Initiatives at Grand Valley State University.