Here you can download:

• Outcomes in Early Years and Primary (Excel file)
• Outcomes in Secondary (Excel file)
• Topics for using data skills (Powerpoint with Outcomes)

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Over five weeks, students will track their daily emotions using embroidery to create a vibrant, data-driven art piece. Each day, they’ll select a thread colour to represent their mood and stitch one square of a 5×5 grid.

At the end of the activity, they’ll add a stem to the grid, transforming it into a flower—a beautiful visualization of their emotional data. This project helps students understand how data can be collected, represented, and interpreted while fostering mindfulness and creativity.

Timing:

The activity is intended to take place over 5 weeks. It can be decided whether students are to stitch their day’s feelings each day, or perhaps stitch Monday-Friday’s feelings in one go every Friday. For this reason, we have included a mood-tracker where students can log their feelings on each day so they don’t forget before their stitching time!

Materials:

• Feelings Threads Worksheet
• Feelings Thread Presentation
• Embroidery Hoops
• Thread of multiple colours
• Thread cutters / Scissors
• Felt tip pens / colouring pencils
• Needles
• Felt squares
• Thread-keeping cards

Below are some examples of different ways that classes have approached this activity, including as a cross-stitch rather than embroidery activity.

       

Teachers have said:

“I’ve been doing this activity with my learners for fine motor skills, as well as a daily emotional check-in. I am using the data in report writing and will also put the pieces out on parents evening.”

“It’s nice for learners to now be able to see their longer term emotional data this way and reflect on it, which they couldn’t do when they were just doing daily emotional check-ins. They find it a calming start to the day.”

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Step 1: Materials

Something to weave with: You can use ribbon, yarn, or cut strips of recycled fabric (see this  for example) for the weaving material. You will need as many different colours as the number of categories in the data you are collecting.

Somewhere to weave on: You could use a fence in the school playground, a climbing frame or trim trail, furniture, or stick netting onto a classroom wall, like in the images below.

Step 2: ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ

We have previously used this activity to collect data on how learners or teachers usually travel to school, but you can also choose your own question to investigate! It helps to collect categorical data, so that each category can be represented by a different colour of ribbon, and to provide a key (see image below).

Step 3: Weave your data and discuss the results!

In our travelling-to-school topic, you can ask questions like “What is the most common mode of transport for getting to our school?”, “Why do we think most people travel by car/bus/walk (delete as appropriate)? “Is this mode of transport sustainable?”, “What could we do to encourage more sustainable travel to our school?”. You could also compare two schools (urban versus rural? primary versus secondary?) or run the activity across a cluster.

Further Information

You might be interested in a . This art installation was created in honour of Edinburgh’s first female medical students.

©Ìý, University of Edinburgh, 2024. This resource is licensed , unless otherwise indicated.

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In this activity that requires both creativity and understanding a data set, learners will create a fun, physical representation of a provided data set using the materials and tools available.

Take a look at our slides introducing the activity, data set, and some inspiration from past workshop participants’ creations!

Slides

The Kits

The kits can contain whatever reusable crafting materials or random objects you have lying around (the idea is to reduce waste by encouraging repurposing of objects, and also to use objects which can be easily dissembled and used again and again). However, if you’d like to get an idea of what you could use, or assemble a kit from scratch, we have a priced-up list of items you could purchase:

Fizzy ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ Kit List

The ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ

We have used a simplifed version of a data set from a of American undergraduate students about appropriateness of different behaviours in different locations.

This slide deck contains a version appropriate for secondary school learners: Secondary data set

This slide deck contains a version appropriate for primary school learners: Primary data set

If you would like to collect your own data on appropriateness of different behaviours, you can use this as a template.

We are in the process of gathering more data sets that would work well for this activity, which we will keep adding to below. You can also look through our ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ Sets resource for more ideas!

Planets data set: This data table, perfect for tying into a unit on space, compares features of the eight planets such as mass, orbital distance, length of day, and number of moons.

Inspiration

Here is what some of our previous teacher workshop participants have created!

Note: This activity was inspired by a some of our team members attended at the Information+ 2023 conference in Edinburgh. The workshop was organised by Sarah Hayes, Trevir Hogan, Rebecca Noonan and Denise Heffernan (Munster Technological University); (University of Bath); and Martin Lindrup (Aalborg University).

©Ìý, University of Edinburgh, 2024. This resource is licensed , unless otherwise indicated.

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Have you used one of these books to teach data in your classroom and want to share your experience? Is there a book not listed below that you would recommend to other teachers? Get in touch!

David Smith (2018) If the world were a village. Bloomsbury Education.

David Smith (2016) If… A mind bending way of looking at big ideas and numbers. Wayland.

Miranda Smith (2022) If the world were 100 animals Red Shed.

Carl Bergstrom and Jevin West (2021) Calling Bullshit. The art of scepticism in a data-driven world. Penguin Random House.

Ron Ritchart, Mark Church, and Karin Morrison (2011) Making Thinking Visible: How to promote engagement, understanding, and independence for all learners. Jossey-Bass

 

Stuart Murphy (2022) Show and Tell! Great graphs and smart charts: an introduction to infographics. Charlesbridge Publishing.

 

James Cheshire and Oliver Uberti (2016) Where the animals go: Tracking Wildlife with Technology in 50 Maps and Graphics. Particular Books.

 

James Cheshire and Oliver Uberti (2021) Atlas of the Invisible. Particular Books.

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Find a visualisation to use as a starting point for a lesson or a conversation with your learners, or have your learners look through some examples before creating a data visualisation of their own.

©Ìý, University of Edinburgh, 2024. This resource is licensed , unless otherwise indicated.

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This lesson works well as an early/first level adjustment to our second level Micro:bit ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ Monsters activity. Both versions could be run simultaneously in a mixed-level class. This has been tried and tested successfully in a mixed-level classroom containing P1s through to P7s!

Learners at Duns and Chirnside Primaries in the Scottish Borders making their ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ Monsters.

Materials required:

• • A set of microbits (learners can work in pairs if need be)
  • Laptops or ipads to create the code
  • Scissors, tape or glue, and coloured pens for creating the papercraft monsters
  • Printable handouts, papercraft templates, and graph templates, all available below.

Printable resources:

• • Print out the PDF handout or alter our editable Word doc to meet your needs. We have used a large dyslexia-friendly font, with sparse text, friendly to early readers.
  • Papercraft templates for the microbit monsters: These papercraft templates from need tape or glue to stay together and to hold the microbit in place.

Extension activities

• • Put your Micro:bit Monster to work collecting data for you! Add code which makes it display the ambient temperature. (See the handout for the Second Level version of this activity)
    

Other useful resources for working with microbits

• • Micro:bit Cheatsheet! Print out this one-page PDF handout and keep it nearby to help with common troubleshooting issues. Editable powerpoint file.
  • Micro:bit Unplugged Coding Blocks. You can cut these out and use to help learners plan out their code without needing to use a device. Useful for beginner coders.
  • Micro:bit award certificates to present to learners for successfully coding a micro:bit!

Micro:bit ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ Monsters for P5-7!

The above activity is ideal for First (and even some Early) Level learners, but if you have a mixed-level class, or want to try using micro:bits with your P5-7 learners, check out our Micro:bit ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ Monsters activity.

If you require a resource in an alternative format, such as large print or a coloured background, please contact dataschools@ed.ac.uk detailing which resource(s) you require.

©Ìý, University of Edinburgh, 2024. This resource is licensed , unless otherwise indicated.

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They will then collect temperature readings from their monster over a time period, chart these on the provided graphs, and compare their graphs with others to answer questions such as: what is the hottest/coldest part of the classroom?; what is the hottest/coldest time of day in each location?; is the outside temperature too warm to wear a coat at breaktime?; when the classroom goes above/below a certain temperature, does it correlate with our ability to learn?

Learners at Duns and Chirnside Primaries in the Scottish Borders making their ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ Monsters.

Materials required:

• • A set of microbits (learners can work in pairs if need be)
  • Laptops or ipads to create the code
  • Scissors, tape or glue, and coloured pens for creating the papercraft monsters
  • Printable handouts, papercraft templates, and graph templates, all available below.

Printable resources:

• • Handout with instructions and starter code: PDF version and editable Word doc.
  • Papercraft templates for the microbit monsters: These papercraft templates from need tape or glue to stay together and to hold the microbit in place. Important: Please view the printing instructions for this activity at the bottom of the page so that the templates are printed at the correct scale.
  • Graphs to record temperature: PDF version and editable Word doc

Extension activities

• • Decide the temperature (and light range?) that your monster likes. Have it make a happy sound or face when it’s in its optimal range, and/or a sad sound or face when it’s outside of this range (for clues, see ).
  • Build a house for your monster to keep it in its optimal light and temperature zone.
  • If you’ve placed your monster outside your classroom, have it send its temperature readings to a central microbit via radio signal, so that you don’t have to keep leaving the room to check. (For help with this, see )

Other useful resources for working with microbits

• • Micro:bit Cheatsheet! Print out this one-page PDF handout and keep it nearby to help with common troubleshooting issues. Editable powerpoint file.
  • Micro:bit Unplugged Coding Blocks. You can cut these out and use to help learners plan out their code without needing to use a device. Useful for beginner coders.
  • Micro:bit algorithm planning sheet. Useful for the extension activities and learners looking for a challenge.
  • Micro:bit award certificates to present to learners for successfully coding a micro:bit!

Micro:bits for P1-4!

The above activity is ideal for Level 2 learners (P5-7) but if you have a mixed-level class, or want to try using micro:bits with your P1-4 learners, we have a resource for you, successfully tested with First (and even Early) Level learners! Micro:bit Monsters for Early/First Level.

If you require a resource in an alternative format, such as large print or a coloured background, please contact dataschools@ed.ac.uk detailing which resource(s) you require.

Printing Instructions for Micro:Bits Monsters Activity

When printing this worksheet, please ensure that the scale setting is set to “Default” in your print options. This will ensure that the worksheet prints correctly, without any distortions.

Important:

• • Do NOT select the “Fit to Printable Area” option, as this may alter the size and layout of the worksheet.
  • The “Default” scale setting will keep the proportions as intended.

If you are unsure how to adjust these settings, here’s a quick guide:

1. 1. Go to your Print PreviewÌý²õ³¦°ù±ð±ð²Ô.
   2. ±«²Ô»å±ð°ùÌýScale, choose Default.

©Ìý, University of Edinburgh, 2024. This resource is licensed , unless otherwise indicated.

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The guide offers practical guidance, links to resources and a poster to support teaching data literacy skills and concepts across the primary curriculum.

Along with discussions of the importance of real world data and the impact of data both on our personal lives and society as a whole, the resource outlines how teachers can use the ‘PPDAC’ (Problem, Plan, ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ, Analysis, Conclusions) data problem-solving cycle in a variety ways.

The digital version of the handbook, which we hope will be used by schools across Scotland (and beyond) can be downloaded here:

Download ‘Teach ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ Literacy: a guide for primary teacher’

If you require this document in an alternative format, such as large print or a coloured background, please contact ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ by email at dataschools@ed.ac.uk

©Ìý, University of Edinburgh, 2024. This resource is licensed , unless otherwise indicated.

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Download the Food Cards in Word or PDF

Download slides as PowerPoint or PDF

Introduction

Food Production is responsible for approximately one third of all greenhouse gas emissions contributing to global warming. That’s about 19 times the amount from the commercial airline industry! In this lesson, learners will gather and visualise data about the food miles and carbon footprint associated with different food items, critically evaluate this data, and use it to think about how best to reduce the impact of our food systems on the environment.

This lesson is made up of 2 parts as follows:

1. 1. ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ gathering, visualisation, analysis, and discussion (2 hrs)
   2. Creative activity (1-2 hrs)

Duration: 3-4 hours, which can be split up into 2 or 3 separate sessions

Materials:

• • Access to computers or tablets with internet
  • Food items provided by teacher OR download and print the food cards provided
  • For Part 2, any art materials of choice: paper, pencils, felt tips, paint, or digital software (e.g. MS Paint)

Curriculum Links

MNU 2-20a: Having discussed the variety of ways and range of media used to present data, I can interpret and draw conclusions from the information displayed, recognising that the presentation may be misleading.

MNU 2-20b: I have carried out investigations and surveys, devising and using a variety of methods to gather information and have worked with others to collate, organise and communicate the results in an appropriate way.

MTH 2-21a: I can display data in a clear way using a suitable scale, by choosing appropriately from an extended range of tables, charts, diagrams and graphs, making effective use of technology.

TCH 2-02a: I can use digital technologies to search, access and retrieve information and are aware that not all of this information will be credible.

TCH 2-06a: I can analyse how lifestyles can impact on the environment and Earth’s resources and can make suggestions about how to live in a more sustainable way.

TCH 2-11a: I can use a range of graphic techniques, manually and digitally, to communicate ideas, concepts or products, experimenting with the use of shape, colour and texture to enhance my work.

SOC 2-08a: I can discuss the environmental impact of human activity and suggest ways in which we can live in a more environmentally-responsible way.

HWB 2-35a: When preparing and cooking a variety of foods, I am becoming aware of the journeys which foods make from source to consumer, their seasonality, their local availability and their sustainability.

LIT 2-09a: When listening and talking with others for different purposes, I can: share information, experiences and opinions; explain processes and ideas; identify issues raised and summarise main points or findings; and clarify points by asking questions or by asking others to say more.

Learning Intentions

We are learning to:

• • Find out different factors that contribute to the environmental impact of what we eat.
  • Gather and compare data about the environmental impacts of different foods.
  • Evaluate the source and quality of the data.
  • Draw a conclusion based on the data about what will make the biggest difference in reducing our impact.
  • Think creatively about how to do this.

Success criteria

We will:

• • Gather data using the online calculators.
  • Create a visualisation
  • Discuss what conclusions we can draw from the data.
  • Design a label to show information about the carbon emissions of a food item.

Part 1a – ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ Gathering & Visualisation

The teacher can bring a set of 5-10 staple food items into the classroom for this activity (use the food cards for ideas of what to bring). They can be brought from home or bought—as long as you can use them afterwards!—but best to avoid asking the learners to bring items from their own home.

As an alternative, the food cards provided at the end of this document can be cut out and used.

You can break up the learners into groups, or they can work individually. You can also have each group/individual gather data for one food item, then bring them together to pool their data for the visualisation.

Task 1a: Calculate the food miles of each item using the . If the country of origin is not specified, how might you make an educated guess?

Task 1b: Visualise the data. Three Options:

• • Order the food cards (or food items themselves) from most to least number of food miles
  • Draw a graph using paper and pencil
  • Use graphing software or a free online tool such as

Task 2a: Calculate the carbon emissions for each item. Each student/group can choose one of the three emissions calculators, and then the results can be compared.

Calculator 1:

Calculator 2:

Calculator 3:

Task 2b: Visualise the data.

Optional Bonus Activity:

Task 3a: Use a supermarket shopping website to find out the price per kg of each item.

Task 3b: Visualise the data.

Part 1b – Analysis & Discussion

In this part of the lesson, learners will be prompted to think critically about the source and quality of the data (by digging around on the calculators’ websites to see what further info they can find), interpret what the data means, and make decisions about how to act based on it.

Learners can come up with answers to the questions below individually or in small groups, and then come together to discuss as a class, or the whole activity can be done as a class.

Questions

1. Are the items with the most food miles also the items with the most carbon emissions? If you made graphs, how do the overall shapes compare?

2. How do the different calculators measure carbon emissions? What do they factor in? What is not factored in? Some examples:

• • Production method, e.g. human labour vs. machinery, pesticides, heated polytunnels
  • Land use (including deforestation) & water use
  • Processing, packaging & storage
  • Different stages of transport
  • ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ refrigeration & cooking

3. Who made each calculator? Do they have an agenda? How trustworthy are they?

4. If you completed the bonus task, are the most expensive foods also the ones with the most food miles or carbon emissions? Should they be?

Concluding Task

As a class, come up with a list of principles that would help us make more sustainable food choices, and rank these in terms of importance. Some examples might be:

• • Eat less beef
  • Eat more local produce
  • Choose food with less packaging.

Part 2 – Creative Activity

The purpose of this activity is to allow learners to be freely creative, and to emphasise that data science and creative arts can in fact be closely linked.

Prompt: Many food labels tell us the country of origin, but not the other contributing factors to carbon emissions. Design a food label that would give shoppers an accurate sense of the carbon emissions associated with the different foods we eat.

©Ìý, University of Edinburgh, 2024. This resource is licensed , unless otherwise indicated.

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