Data Unit: Day Two

(This is a day by day of the Data: Lets do the Numbers Unit in CS Principles. The overview is here.)

Today we are diving into data.

Coloring

The idea is to get a bit more specific and build some vocabulary around data. We also started looking at our first data sets and talking about what they could be used for.

I started by asking them what they thought the difference is between data and information. They had some great responses, including:

Data is the hard code in a computer, the numbers, the statistics.

Information is the actual wording of what we as people know. 

Data is something that has no format. Information has been converted into audio, text, or video. Data is more scientific. 

Data is raw, unorganized facts that need to be processed. Data can be something simple and seemingly random and useless until it is organized.When data is processed, organized, structured or presented in a given context so as to make it useful, it is called information. 

After they copied the notes (topics listed below) They did a coloring activity to show the difference between analog and digitized data. They blended two colors using colored pencils then took a digital picture of the color they created. They used the Paint program to zoom in and look at the individual pixels of color the camera captured.

Next we looked at some small data sets and I had them pose questions about the data. After that they completed the Exit Ticket.



Here is the listing of what we did:

• Fast Start:
• Discussion Board Entry: What do you think is the difference between data and information?
• Notes: Data 
• These covered:
• data  vs information
• connected back to the binary we did in unit 1 and that data is stored in binary
• Data compression
• Analog vs Digital
• NPR article on MP3 Compression
• Activity: color! 
• Data Sets - with a partner 
• You will hand in one sheet of paper. Grab a tablet for your group.
• Navigate to:Data Sets
• With a partner pick one of the data sets from this website...brainstorm at least five questions you could answer using this data set. 
• When done - look at the website here . Which of these are data sets? How could you gather information from these sets of data? What problems might you run into?
• Exit Ticket Day 2 
• Do you use data in your life (outside of school?) If so how?
• How about information?