Ed. note: App of the Week picks are now being curated by the editors of Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. Click here to read the full app review.
Data USA
What’s It Like?
Data USA is a data-search and -visualization website that aims to make U.S. government data more accessible to the public. Data sources include the U.S. Census, the U.S. Department of Labor, the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, and the National Center for Education Statistics. Data USA removes the tedium of finding and sorting through often esoteric and unappealing sets of data across disparate websites, instead giving students a one-stop shop for well-visualized research on a range of topics such as the economy, demographics, education, housing and living, health, and safety. They can find information organized by location, industry, occupation, and post-secondary school.
Price: Free
Grades: 8-12
Rating: 4/5
Pros: The data is extensive, relevant, and interesting, and it’s presented in a way that’s easy to read and understand.
Cons: While extensive, there are still limitations — you won’t find data for all industries, occupations, cities, schools, or other countries.
Bottom line: An efficient research tool that makes it easier to incorporate stats into a host of lessons or projects focusing on the U.S.
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