DeSoto West Middle School teacher Gayla Davidson was selected to lead a Discovery Education Masterclass Video in a series around the importance of teaching data while showcasing resources created for classroom teachers (Discover Data).
The goal of the masterclass is to show teachers how easy it is to incorporate data into their lessons, no matter the content they teach. As a result, educators will find timely and relevant lessons to use with their lessons. I facilitated two lessons using the free curriculum connectors resources available to educators.
The first lesson was Social Media and Misinformation, which asks students to take a closer look at just how plugged-in people today are with social media. Students used data to understand the power of influencers, uncover the trends of information as it spreads on social media, and brainstorm their own ideas to counteract the dangers of misinformation. The second lesson was Environmental Justice, where students used data to understand the effects of climate change while also learning more about environmental justice to enable a more equitable world.
Discover Data is a 21st Century education initiative powered by the Nielsen Foundation in collaboration with Discovery Education and the National AfterSchool Association that introduces students across the country to relatable, real-world applications of data and the professionals using that data to innovate for the future.
The Discovery Education Masterclass was filmed on November 30th. The video is currently in post-production and is estimated to be available in late January on the Discover Data website and Discovery Education.