Delivering data education does not always have to include data collection. There is a wide range of useful datasets that can support data education in schools.
This resource contains a list of freely available, high quality datasets that can be used in the classroom. Using an existing dataset can offer more flexibility and allow learners to focus on other steps in the PPDAC cycle (Problem Plan Data Analysis Conclusion). In particular it can provide more opportunities for analysis and allow more nuanced conclusions to be drawn.
- Gapminder: A collection of international datasets on health, education, poverty and other social issues
- Official Scottish Government statistics datasets
- Official UK Government Statistics datasets
- Data about Edinburgh
- Data about East Lothian
- Data about West Lothian
- Data about the Scottish Borders
- Data about Fife
- High-quality data visualisations which present facts about many aspects of society in a compelling way
Some International datasets that may be useful include:
Some datasets organised by curriulum area
Health & Wellbeing
- Data on Scotland’s Health: https://scotland.shinyapps.io/sg-scottish-health-survey/
- Data on Physical Activity in Scotland by Local Authority: https://www2.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/16002/LAtables2018
Social Studies/Maths & Numeracy
- Interactive visualisation of Victorian and Edwardian Britain Populations Past: Infant Mortality Rate, 1861
- Data on population change (1960 to Present): https://data.worldbank.org/
- Data on Population Change & Migration (1800 to 2013): https://dataverse.harvard.edu/dataset.xhtml?persistentId=doi:10.7910/DVN/ZN1WLF
- Data on Scotland’s witches: http://witches.shca.ed.ac.uk/
- Data on Family Budgets around the world: https://www.gapminder.org/dollar-street/
- Data on Scottish Households including budgets: https://www2.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/16002/LAtables2018
- Data on economic and social conditions in different countries: https://data.worldbank.org/topic/economy-and-growth?view=chart
- Data on trade within the EU 2013 – 2017: https://data.europa.eu/euodp/en/data/dataset/3a775da0-420f-444c-9813-74a0aefa65c9/resource/0456e0a0-bdc1-440f-89ee-fcbf84f9f86d
- Global Trade Data: https://data.worldbank.org/topic/trade
- Maps and data on transport systems through history: https://www.transitmap.net/category/historical-maps/
Sciences
- Data on rollercoasters: https://codap.concord.org/releases/latest/static/dg/en/cert/index.html?url=https://concord-consortium.github.io/codap-data/SampleDocs/Science/PhysChem/rollercoasters/rollercoasters.codap
- Data on climate change: https://codap.concord.org/releases/latest/static/dg/en/cert/index.html?url=https://concord-consortium.github.io/codap-data/SampleDocs/Science/E_Sciences/Climate_Change/Climate-Change-A.codap
- Global Longterm Climate Data: http://climatedata-catalogue.wmo.int/climate_indicators
- Global Weather Data: https://climatedata-catalogue.wmo.int/explore
- UK Weather data: https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/data/index
- Data on plant growth rates and growing conditions: https://codap.concord.org/releases/latest/static/dg/en/cert/index.html?url=https://concord-consortium.github.io/codap-data/SampleDocs/Science/Biology/fast_plants/fast_plants.codap
- Data on Fertiliser Sales: https://data.europa.eu/euodp/en/data/dataset/OBa8IfZvjm0LhjKzm8moYQ
- Data on renewable energy generation: https://ourworldindata.org/renewable-energy
If you find any other useful datasets for data education in schools please email us and let us know: dataschools@ed.ac.uk
Featured image: World Meteorological Organisation