Three-Step Reading for Data
OER PROJECT: WORLD HISTORYTHREE-STEP READING FOR DATAUnless otherwise noted, this work is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Credit: “Three-Step Reading for Data”, OER Project, https://www.oerproject.com/1Directions: Before you read, look at the “Pay Attention to” and “Questions” lines. Write your answers in the text box.Chart Title:Data Exploration Author:Overall question or idea to think about as you read: Reading 1: Read the dataThis will be your quickest read. It should help you get the general idea of what the chart is about and what information it contains.Pay attention to: LabelsQuestion: What kind of chart is this? What is the title? Is there a subtitle? How are the axes labeled? Is anything else on the chart labeled?
OER PROJECT: WORLD HISTORYTHREE-STEP READING FOR DATA2Pay attention to: Data representationQuestion: How many variables are there and what are they? What are the scales? Are there any irregularities in the scales? What time period does the chart cover? Is the chart interactive?Pay attention to:Data sourceQuestion: Where did the data for this chart come from? Do you trust it? Who created the chart?
OER PROJECT: WORLD HISTORYTHREE-STEP READING FOR DATA3Reading 2: Read between the dataIn this read, pay attention to the information that helps you understand the chart and the story it is telling.Pay attention to:Claim(s)Question: What story is the creator of this chart trying to tell you? What data from the chart supports this story?Pay attention to:ScaleQuestion: Does the chart’s story change when you zoom in compared to when you look at the data as a whole?
OER PROJECT: WORLD HISTORYTHREE-STEP READING FOR DATA4Pay attention to:PresentationQuestion: How does the chart’s presentation affect how you read it? Has the author selected certain variables, categories, or scales that affect the conclusions that can be drawn? Is there anything missing from this chart?
OER PROJECT: WORLD HISTORYTHREE-STEP READING FOR DATA5Reading 3: Read beyond the dataThe third reading is about why the chart is important and what it can tell us about the world.Pay attention to: SignificanceQuestion: Why does this chart matter? What does the information in this chart tell us about people who lived in the past? How does it connect to your world today?Pay attention to: Back to the future Question: How does this data compare to today? Have things gotten better or worse? Based on what you now know, how do you think the data in the chart would look if you made this chart 5 years or 100 years from now?