Unit Description

Analyzing Social Numbers: Guiding Students to be Critical Consumers of Information

Nancy Ventresca

The modern world is filled with messages from the media. It can be very difficult to ascertain whether a shocking statistic is true or relevant to one’s daily life, or if there has been some manipulation of the data to gain attention to a cause or issue. This unit was written for 5th grade Enrichment students in an effort to help them become more educated consumers of information. However, it could easily be used in the middle school grades. Beginning with practice in critically analyzing a variety of claims, students will then turn a critical eye toward some studies that they have found on their own and eventually use these skills in a variety of beginning debate activities.