Teach Primary Issue 18.4

Mary Gregory introduces a new data science project for primary schools and explores how teachers can bring data to life D ata has become the foundation of our digital world, and understanding data is a skill we all need. It’s easy to underestimate how often we use data in everyday life. For instance, just planning a journey using an online route planner involves gathering data, including traffic conditions, road type and speed limits, from multiple sources. Data science uses technology, statistics, and specific topic knowledge to extract useful information from data, which helps us understand our world. Supporting pupils to build interest and confidence in the use of data from an early age is critical, putting Make it MAKE SENSE them in the best position to navigate future challenges. We need to instil in children an instinctive ability to employ critical thinking when they encounter data and information. By doing so, children can also better understand how they contribute to data collected by organisations, digital platforms, apps, and, increasingly, artificial intelligence – with and without their knowledge. The skills of data scientists are in demand. Data science is increasingly seen as an essential skill for lots of jobs. Demystifying data science ( tinyurl.com/ tp-DataScientist ) is an important step in helping spark an interest in the things like weather forecasts, presenting information in ways we can all understand. Working with data can be broken down into four main activities: 1. Collecting – gathering data 2. Analysing – asking questions about the data 3. Interpreting – establishing what the numbers tell us 4. Presenting – how best to tell people about the findings Demystifying data science and engaging children with data is one of the reasons the Office for National Statistics has teamed up with BBC Children’s and Education and the micro:bit Educational Foundation, to invite primary teachers to subject. Hopefully, it will increase the number of young people interested in a career in data science and help more young people engage in data and coding. Data science appears in many parts of the English, Northern Irish, Scottish and Welsh curricula – including geography, science, mathematics, computing, ICT and understanding the world, as well as health and wellbeing. Demystifying data science and its role in the world When you turn on the TV, you might see discussions about big data, which can feel quite mysterious and anonymous. And yet, big data is relayed to us during www.teachwire.net | 27 MA THS , I C T “We need to instil in children an instinctive ability to employ critical thinking when they encounter data and information”