• Grade Level: Middle School, High School
• Subject Area: Social Studies, Math

Brief Description

    Students choose a news article to analyze using on-line statistical resources.
Objectives

    Students will:

• Use multiple resources to gather information for research.
• Critically evaluate the content and perspective of news stories.
• Use data to make inferences and support arguments.
• Use data to evaluate other people's arguments.

Materials and Resources

    In developing our lessons and activities, we made some assumptions about the hardware and software that would be available in the classroom for teachers who visit the LETSNet Website. We assume that teachers using our Internet-based lessons or activities have a computer with the necessary hardware components (mouse, keyboard, and monitor) as well as a World Wide Web browser. In the section below, we specify any "special" hardware or software requirements for a lesson or activity (in addition to those described above) and the level of Internet access required to do the activity.

1. Special hardware requirements: None.
2. Special software requirements: None.
3. Internet access: A medium-speed (28,000 BPS via modem) or high-speed (greater than 1 MBPS via network) connection.

Activity Description

• Once a month, assign students to groups to research a news article further.
• Ask each group to review the articles in their news folders and select one article for further research.
• Allow research groups to explore the on-line statistical resources listed in our Internet Resources below. While at the sites, students should look for data that confirms or refutes the premises in the news article they chose to research.
• As homework, have the research groups write up a brief summary of their findings.
• Set aside class time for all groups to share their findings.

Internet Resources

    News Resources

    These are a sampling of some of the on-line resources that provide interesting statistics. Many other locations are available. Encourage your students to search the Internet for other sources. (See our Professional Growth Module, "Internet Access, Searching the Net," listed below, for information on how to search the Internet.)

• US Bureau of the Census
  [http://www.census.gov/econ/www/]
  Information on the economy and people, with statistics on housing, agriculture, poverty, foreign trade, and the labor force. The site includes an index to economic topics covered and has numerous full color data maps.
• Bureau of Labor Statistics
  [http://stats.bls.gov/blshome.html]
  The BLS provides information on labor and economic indicators. This site offers information at both a national and regional level and has a feature that allows you to create tables with the specific information that you want.
• The Social Security Administration
  [http://www.ssa.gov/]
  Data on Social Security benefits, Aid to Families with Dependent Children, and other programs. (Some data is in PDF format which requires downloading a free Netscape plug-in Acrobat Reader. See our Professional Growth Module, "Internet Access, Finding and Installing Netscape Helpers and Plug-ins," listed below, for information on how to down load Acrobat Reader.)
• The Administration for Children and Families
  [http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/programs.htm]
  A subsection of the Department of Health and Human Services, the ACF is home to the federal welfare program Aid to Families with Dependent Children. The site has listings of all the ACF programs with breakdowns of benefits by different variables.
• The Health Care Financing Administration
  [http://www.hcfa.gov/]
  HCFA houses the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The site offers statistics on both programs.

    Resources to Learn About Searching the Internet:

• Internet Access, Searching the Net
  From our Professional Growth Module (Big Idea 9).
• Internet Access, Finding and Installing Netscape Helpers and Plug-ins
  From our Professional Growth Module (Big Idea 9).

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