Formative Task
FORMATIVE TASK
Description How can you understand information presented in data charts?
Comprehend and analyze the data presented in charts.
Teacher Notes
I Can Statements and Quality Criteria
 I can:
 Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events through comparisons, analogies, or categories (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.3)
 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.4)
 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints (CCSS.ELA-
LITERACY.RI.8.6)
 Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.7)
 Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the
This formative task is not about mathematical manipulation of the data. The activities listed help students apply the approaches they use with texts to making meaning from data charts, especially those that appear within texts or complement texts, such as those that appear in performance tasks like the Document-Based Question.

Formative Task
FORMATIVE TASK evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.8)
 Analyze a case in which two or more texts provide conflicting information on the same topic and identify where the texts disagree on matters of fact or interpretation (CCSS.ELA-
LITERACY.RI.8.9)
 I will know my analysis of texts is of high quality when it:
 Makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events
 Analyzes the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone
 States the author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyzes how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints
 Evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of using the author’s chosen medium (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea
 Delineates and evaluates the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identifies irrelevant evidence
 Identifies where the different texts disagree on matters of fact or interpretation
Suggestions for Assessing Student Readiness to Move Forward:
 Confer with students, asking probing questions about their analysis to

Formative Task
FORMATIVE TASK
Possible Activities gauge how well it meets the quality criteria.
 Ask students to self-evaluate their work after completing one of the activities below.
 Provide students with a checklist of things to look for in the documents
(title, key, labels, date, and source).
 Use a text-coding protocol ( http://goo.gl/4BnZJw) like DIRA: o (D) Describe: What do you see? o (I) Interpret: What do things represent? Are there symbols? If so, what do they stand for? o (R) Reflect: What inferences can you make? What are your initial thoughts? o (A) Analyze: What was the creator’s purpose? What point were they trying to make?
 Students examine the same data represented in different forms. Have students work in pairs and discuss each format and its strengths and weaknesses. If someone is going to present data, what questions should they ask themselves when deciding on format? When should they use a pie chart as opposed to a bar graph.
 Use an Inquiry Chart to compare different sources: http://goo.gl/tDgB1F
Students’ ability to make meaning from data charts will develop over time; therefore, their analyses may not meet all of the quality criteria on a first (or even subsequent) reading. Encourage students to view this as an iterative process, providing opportunities to go back and revise their analyses as they learn more about the content and context of the charts.
 If the data charts are part of a larger text, this activity can be helpful: http://goo.gl/BX5RNI
 Students could be given data and asked to create charts or graphs to represent that data. This could be as simple as drawing them on paper

Formative Task
FORMATIVE TASK
Resources or using computer programs such as Excel to create the documents.
Tips for Analyzing Survey Data
 Analyzing the Data: https://goo.gl/0TnyAi
 Khan Academy—Statistical Studies: https://goo.gl/WLoa4B
 This YouTube channel offers several videos about using Excel to analyze and present data: https://goo.gl/tc1eAA