Show World, a mapping and data visualization tool that I've previously mentioned, has recently added some new data categories and begun designing lesson plans for high school classrooms. Since the last time I visited Show World they have added new data categories for aging populations and sovereign wealth funds. The companion to Show World, Show USA, has also added new data categories for stimulus bill jobs and state budget deficits.The lesson plan designed by Show World is intended for use at the high school level. The lesson plan is designed to help students understand how to use data to describe the world. Students will also learn to compare countries and regions based on data. The lesson plans are not published on the Show World website, they are posted on Slide Share. You can view the lesson plans here.
Applications for Education
While the Show World lesson plan is intended for high school classrooms it could probably be adapted for use in a middle school setting. The visualization of countries expanding and contracting based on data sets makes Show World accessible to students at many grade levels.