First Grader’s Data Representations of “Safe” and “Unsafe” Lead Them to Social Responsibility.

The students in first grade are learning how to collect data and communicate the results of their data in a representation that makes sense to them.

Both classes spent time outside observing and recording “safe” and “unsafe” events in the neighborhood before each class decided on a topic to collect data on. Safety is also the larger topic they are learning about in social studies. Sarah’s class collected data on bicyclists and whether or not they wore helmets. Ariane’s class collected data on broken benches in the nearby parks.

Data collected on safe/unsafe benches

After analyzing the data representations, each class decided on a plan of action to do something about the problem they discovered in their school neighborhood.