Resources

Data Literacy Outcomes in the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence, by level and topic

We have identified outcomes across the whole Broad General Education and grouped them into topics suitable for applying Data Skills.

Curriculum Level: Early (Pre 5 & P1) First (P2-P4) Second (P5-P7) Senior Phase (S4-6) Third (S1-S3)

Unmasking data disasters

An online Cyber Skills Live activity where students uncover the identities of people within an anonymous dataset.

Curriculum Level: First (P2-P4) Second (P5-P7)

Data Selfie

An online Cyber Skills Live activity where students create a piece of data-driven art about themselves.

Curriculum Level: First (P2-P4) Second (P5-P7)

Plug in the Numbers

This is a online Cyber Skills live activity where students fight climate change by creating a renewable energy system for their school.

Curriculum Level: First (P2-P4) Second (P5-P7)

Defend the Rhino

This is an activity made with Cyber Skills live, where students stop a gang of rhino poachers.

Curriculum Level: First (P2-P4) Second (P5-P7)

Undercover Mission in Norway

This activity is part of our set of Data-themed Escape Rooms. For background info on the DATA Agency and the VIKINGS villains, read our Top Secret Brief.

Curriculum Level: First (P2-P4) Second (P5-P7)

Feelings Threads

This is a data visualisation feelings tracking activity that combines creativity, emotional awareness, and data collection in a unique and engaging activity for primary school students.

Curriculum Level: First (P2-P4) Second (P5-P7)

Escape Rooms

Click on the page below for a number of Escape Room Tasks!

Curriculum Level: First (P2-P4) Second (P5-P7)

NPA Curriculum Materials

This page provides access to a comprehensive set of resources covering a significant portion of the National Progression Award (NPA) curriculum across Levels 4, 5, and 6.

Curriculum Level: NPA Data Science Senior Phase (S4-6)

Let’s write a story

This is an 'unplugged' activity to help demystify AI, where learners work together to create a simple 'ChatGPT' system to generate a story.

Curriculum Level: First (P2-P4) Second (P5-P7) Third (S1-S3)

Let’s generate a sentence

This is an 'unplugged' activity to help demystify AI, where learners work together to create a baby 'ChatGPT' system and generate a sentence.

Curriculum Level: First (P2-P4) Second (P5-P7) Third (S1-S3)

This is a little activity to help demystify AI to try and explain in a very simple way how machine learning works, what the chat bots we’re using are actually doing, what are large language models actually doing?

Curriculum Level: First (P2-P4) Second (P5-P7) Third (S1-S3)

Data Cards

In our Teach Data guide we linked to some resources from New Zealand on Cats and Dragons (or Dragonistics). Unfortunately these fab resources from Dr Nic are no longer being produced, so we thought we'd share some alternatives.

Curriculum Level: First (P2-P4) Second (P5-P7)

Weaving Data

In this award-winning, unplugged activity, learners use strips of material woven into a fence or other large frame to display data, creating a collaborative art installation that is both eye-catching and conversation-sparking.

Curriculum Level: Early (Pre 5 & P1) First (P2-P4) Second (P5-P7)

Fizzy Data

Create your own Zero-waste Data Physicalisation (or Fizzy Data, for short!) 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.

Curriculum Level: First (P2-P4) Second (P5-P7) Third (S1-S3)

Data Viz Quiz

Put your graph-reading skills to the test in our Data Viz Quiz challenge!

Curriculum Level: NPA Data Science Senior Phase (S4-6) Third (S1-S3)

Christmas Graphs Quiz

Put your graph-reading skills to the test in our seasonal Data Viz Quiz challenge!

Curriculum Level: NPA Data Science Senior Phase (S4-6) Third (S1-S3)

Books for discussing data

Below is a list of books which teachers have found useful for starting conversations about data in the classroom. Book reviews from teachers and learners will be linked below each title as we receive them.

Curriculum Level: Early (Pre 5 & P1) First (P2-P4) NPA Data Science Second (P5-P7) Senior Phase (S4-6) Third (S1-S3)

Data Visualisation Examples

We have pulled together an (ever-growing!) set of data visualisation examples, categorised by type—e.g. bar charts, pie charts, line graphs, scatter plots, histograms, heat maps, and many more—as well as curricular level at which we would expect comprehension and creation of each graph.

Curriculum Level: Early (Pre 5 & P1) First (P2-P4) NPA Data Science Second (P5-P7) Senior Phase (S4-6) Third (S1-S3)

Create your own Escape Room

This activity is part of our set of Data-themed Escape Rooms. For background info on the DATA Agency and the VIKINGS villains, read our Top Secret Brief.

Curriculum Level: Second (P5-P7) Third (S1-S3)

Stop the Time Heist!

This activity is part of our set of Data-themed Escape Rooms. For background info on the DATA Agency and the VIKINGS villains, read our Top Secret Brief.

Curriculum Level: Second (P5-P7) Third (S1-S3)

Find the VIKINGS Secret Lair

This activity is part of our set of Data-themed Escape Rooms. For background info on the DATA Agency and the VIKINGS villains, read our Top Secret Brief.

Curriculum Level: Second (P5-P7) Third (S1-S3)

Locked in the DATA base

This activity is part of our set of Data-themed Escape Rooms. For background info on the DATA Agency and the VIKINGS villains, read our Top Secret Brief.

Curriculum Level: Second (P5-P7) Third (S1-S3)

Agent Briefing Logic Puzzles

This activity is part of our set of Data-themed Escape Rooms. For background info on the DATA Agency and the VIKINGS villains, read our Top Secret Brief.

Curriculum Level: Second (P5-P7) Third (S1-S3)

Micro:bit Monsters (Early/First Level version)

Make a Micro:Pet that smiles and sings! In this lesson, learners will code a micro:bit to show a face and make sounds. The learners can then design a papercraft monster to fit round the micro:bit.

Curriculum Level: Early (Pre 5 & P1) First (P2-P4)

Datasets resource

Interested in Pokemon? Hip hop music? Air quality? Gender equality? Football? Space dogs? There's a data set for it!

Curriculum Level: First (P2-P4) NPA Data Science Second (P5-P7) Senior Phase (S4-6) Third (S1-S3)

Micro:bit Data Monsters

Make a Micro:bit Monster and put it to work collecting data for you! In this lesson, learners will code a micro:bit to show a face and make sounds, as well as sense the ambient temperature. The learners can then design a papercraft monster to fit round the micro:bit, and decide where in the classroom or school they will put their monster.

Curriculum Level: Second (P5-P7)

Teach Data Literacy: a guide for primary teachers

'Teach Data Literacy: a guide for primary teachers' is a resource developed by the Data Education in Schools team to support teachers to enhance opportunities for all to build the skills and habits of mind relevant to data problem-solving.

Curriculum Level: Early (Pre 5 & P1) First (P2-P4) Second (P5-P7)

NPA Data Science – SOLAR Dashboard Assessment Exemplar

This PDF document provides guidance on a method for developing an interactive dashboard that fulfils the criteria for the NPA Data Science SOLAR assessment question on mapping bike routes using historical Just Eat bikes data. It is provided as an example of how students could successfully meet the criteria.

Curriculum Level: NPA Data Science Senior Phase (S4-6)

Data Explorer Cards

Our Data Explorer cards introduce children and young people to a data problem-solving approach (PPDAC). The design builds on informal question-asking behaviours and supports learners’ exploration of data in relation to the themes of Lego! Birds! Lost Property! Plastics! or a theme of their choosing. Question prompts on the cards support learners to explore problems, plan, collect data, analyse and draw conclusions.

Curriculum Level: Early (Pre 5 & P1) First (P2-P4) Second (P5-P7)

From your plate to the planet: the environmental impact of what we eat

Download the lesson plan in Word or PDF

Curriculum Level: Second (P5-P7)

Welcome Trainee Agents of DATA!

Information for Trainee Agents: Welcome! Thank you for joining the Defence Against Temporal Attacks as a Trainee Agent.

Curriculum Level: Second (P5-P7)

CityFibre’s ‘Internet for All’ Data Challenge

NPA Data Science: Level 6 assessment exemplar How do we make sure everyone in Scotland as fast internet access? The Scottish Government has committed to having superfast broadband access to all by the end of 2021. Grants are in place for suppliers to help deliver this mission.

Curriculum Level: NPA Data Science Senior Phase (S4-6)

Water Pollution – Developing Data Literacy Skills

This resource introduces an understanding of water pollution, what is it, how do we measure it and why does it matter. Young people are encouraged to develop data literacy skills through an understanding of water. This material was taken from our Webinar - Making a Splash with Data

Curriculum Level: Second (P5-P7) Senior Phase (S4-6) Third (S1-S3)

What’s Going on in this Graph – SDGs & Water

This resource develops learner's data interpretation skills by asking " What's going on in this graph?" This material was taken from our Webinar – Making a Splash with Data

Curriculum Level: Second (P5-P7) Senior Phase (S4-6) Third (S1-S3)

Currents & Tides – Developing Data Literacy Skills

This resource introduces an understanding of currents and tides in water. How can we understand currents and tides, how can it improve our understanding of the world. Young people are encouraged to develop data literacy skills through an understanding of water. This material was taken from our Webinar - Making a Splash with Data

Curriculum Level: Second (P5-P7) Senior Phase (S4-6) Third (S1-S3)

Water Quality – Developing Data Literacy Skills

This resource introduces an understanding of water quality, what is it, how do we measure it and why does it matter. Young people are encouraged to develop data literacy skills through an understanding of water. This material was taken from our Webinar - Making a Splash with Data

Curriculum Level: Second (P5-P7) Senior Phase (S4-6) Third (S1-S3)

All About Water – Developing Data Literacy Skills

This resource introduces an understanding of water on our planet and helps learners understand where water is found and how it is used. Young people are encouraged to develop data literacy skills through an understanding of water. This material was taken from our Webinar - Making a Splash with Data

Curriculum Level: Second (P5-P7) Senior Phase (S4-6) Third (S1-S3)

Dear Data (6 Lessons)

Dear Data This resource brings together 6 lessons that make use of the book Dear Data by Stefanie Posavec and Giorgia Lupi.

Curriculum Level: Second (P5-P7)

Data Citizenship Level 4 assessment exemplar

An example practical assessment for the Data Citizenship unit to help you practice the skills involved in the real assessment.

Curriculum Level: NPA Data Science Senior Phase (S4-6)

DataFit – Developing Data & Physical Activity Literacy

The DataFit mission is to simultaneously increase data literacy and physical activity literacy.

Curriculum Level: Second (P5-P7) Third (S1-S3)

Seasonal Datasets

Some resource links to support your exploration of seasonal data. If you have datasets you would like to see included on this page, please get in touch at dataschools@ed.ac.uk (subject line 'seasonal datasets')