Social Explorer is constantly expanding its content to offer better products, services, and data-driven solutions to our broad array of users. We specifically strive to continually bring innovations to the academic market and want to find ways to easily incorporate data into the classroom.

Our Teach and Learn modules are premade modules across various disciplines that aim to inspire creativity, encourage hands-on learning, and equip your students with the desired skills they need to succeed academically and professionally. As data literacy remains one of the top academic skills in the 21st century, using our digital resources is an easy way to introduce data to students and allow them to fully understand subject matter through demographic data and insights.    

What’s more, with the increasing demand for digital transformation, particularly in the academic world, Social Explorer’s modules are essential for technological integration and are a practical digital resource in all classrooms. 

Resources Instructors and Students can use Today

With currently nearly 200 lecture launchers available on our website, picking which ones will bring the most benefits to your classroom can be time consuming and frustrating. No worries, we sifted through all of our content and chose the top ten modules for instructors and students alike. 

1. Diversity and Cities in the U.S. (Urban Geography)

• Creator: David Lukens, Trinity College

• Topic: immigration and demographic patterns in the U.S. over time on both national and local scales

• Use: to better understand demographic changes over time and explore the power of the census

• Data used: American Community Survey 2017, American Community Survey 2018, Decennial Census 1910, Decennial Census 1940, Decennial Census 1970, Decennial Census 1980 

2. 2020 Presidential Election (Government)

• Creator: Jeffrey L. Hahn, Social Explorer

• Topic: exploring democratic turnout in 21st century elections leading up to the 2020 election

• Use: to better understand the political landscape of the U.S. 

• Data used: U.S. Presidential Elections 2016, U.S. Presidential Elections 2020, American Community Survey 2018

3. A Glimpse of Mentally Unhealthy Days in the U.S. in 2020 (Public Health)

• Creator: Maka Tsulukidze MD, PhD, MPH and Basil Antonio M. Tady, Florida Gulf Coast University

• Topic: exploring mentally unhealthy days in the U.S and the relationship between unhealthy days and mental health providers as well as people with insurance

• Use: track the change in mentally unhealthy days by county from 2018-2020 in light of the COVID-19 pandemic

• Data used: Health Data Release 2018, Health Data Release 2019, Health Data Release 2020

4. Health Insurance and Years of Life Lost in 2019-2020 (Public Health)

• Creator: Maka Tsulukidze MD, PhD, MPH and Basil Antonio M. Tady, Florida Gulf Coast University

• Topic: explores the relationship between people with health insurance and projected years of life lost 

• Use: see the relationship between insurance, potential years of life lost, average family income

• Data used: Health Data Release 2019, Health Data Release 2020, Income Limits and Fair Market Rent 2020

5. Building Community and a Better Future in Minneapolis (Social Work)

• Creator: Jessica L. Lucero, Utah State University 

• Topic: employs census data to explore change over time in Philips, Minneapolis

• Use: if you want to see how policy may contribute to community change 

• Data used: Decennial Census 1990, American Community Survey 2010

6. Biology of the Mind: Stress, Exercise, and Nutrition (Psychology)

• Creator: Andrew Johnson PhD, Park University

• Topic: explores the relationship between stress, exercise, and nutrition 

• Use: learn more about state of how potential crime-related stress could correspond to exercise and nutrition

• Data used: UCR Crime Data 2014, American Community Survey 2019, Health Data Release 2020

7. Mapping Education and Literacy in the American South, 1850-2010 (History)

• Creator: Dr. Scot A French PhD, University of Central Florida

• Topic: exploring education and literacy in the American South from 1850-2010 using historic and current data 

• Use: learn more the education system’s relationship to race throughout American history 

• Data used: Decennial Census 1850, Decennial Census 1870, Decennial Census 1900, Decennial Census 1920, Decennial Census 1940, Decennial Census 1970, American Community Survey 2010

8. Is Texas Turning Purple? (Government)

• Creator: Teddy Lishan Desta PhD, Collin College 

• Topic: exploring election data over time to see if trends are changing in Texas and if the state is becoming “purple”

• Use: to better understand congressional election and political changes through demographic analysis in a case-study approach

• Data used: U.S. Congressional Elections 2006, U.S. Congressional Elections 2010, U.S. Congressional Elections 2018, American Community Survey 2018, American Community Survey 2019

9. Gerrymandering (Government)

• Creator: Bryan Reece 

• Topic: current gerrymandering in the U.S. 

• Use: exploring case-studies of gerrymandering to disenfranchise voting of POC in Illinois and North Carolina 

• Data used: Decennial Census 1900, Decennial Census 2000, U.S. Congressional Elections 2012, U.S. Congressional Elections 2018 

10. Diversity in America (Government)

• Creator: Bryan Reece 

• Topic: exploring how diversity might change U.S. public policy 

• Use: take a look at how Social Explorer’s change over time function works to explore the percentage change between various demographic variables from the 2010 and 2018 ACS

• Data used: American Community Survey 2010, American Community Survey 2018

All of our modules, above all, aim to promote data literacy – a critical 21st-century employable skill. They also aid instructors in creating interactive and immersive lectures for their students.

With endless benefits to offer instructors and students, are you ready to embark on this new digital learning path? Dive in and explore our new Teach and Learn modules today! 

Author: Hana Trokic