At Newton Country Day School of the Sacred Heart, a new initiative is expanding and highlighting the use of data science and analytics throughout the curriculum. This Data Analytics curriculum initiative, led by faculty co-chairs Kathleen Scorza and Jacqueline Finnegan, flourished across numerous academic disciplines during the 2023-24 school year. The initiative aims to illuminate the presence of data science in existing lessons and increase opportunities inside and outside the classroom to learn more about the data cycle and data analysis, collection, and visualization.
Scorza, who teaches middle school history and religious studies, shared, Òthe Data Analytics Committee has taken part in professional development opportunities so we can have a shared understanding of the topic. We can then bring a new lens to our lessons.Ó Scorza previously integrated data science into grade seven history using the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database. Now, she teaches it with a new focus on database construction, information analysis, and data science language.
Computer Science I, taught by Department Chair Martha Haddad, introduces students to data science via the Dear Data project, where they creatively visually represent personal data. For instance, Johanna Jane-Leonardis Õ27 illustrated types of questions she asks each day with color-coded symbols, and Sophie Tournet Õ26 tracked time spent on homework by drawing ice cream cones with varying scoops and toppings. In AP Computer Science, students engage in a month-long data science unit, praised by Nicole Hemm Õ24: Òmy favorite part was our final project when we had the opportunity to choose a topic of personal interest, collect data on it, analyze it, and present our findings. Data science combines my love for problem-solving and computer science to reveal hidden patterns and encourage innovation in the technological field. Thanks to Ms. Haddad, I plan to take a data science class in college!Ó
In the Science Department, data analytics has always been embedded into the curriculum. Òin everything we do, we encourage students to go out in the world and make observations to gather data,Ó said Science Department Chair Rebecca Sen. Several new initiatives have highlighted how the department stays on the cutting edge: the mini science fair in grade five, where students collaboratively collect and graph data on a small scale to get a glimpse into the Science and Engineering Fair in grades seven and eight; the Charles River water testing experiment in grade nine biology, where students collect and compare data to historical data sets to make inferences; the grade five caterpillar experiment, where students alter variables and analyze data to assess their impact on caterpillar development; and the environmental case study in Upper School Engineering Design, where students utilize the Environmental Protection AgencyÕs EnviroAtlas to analyze data and determine the optimal location for a greenway pilot section in Tampa, Fla.
Within the math curriculum, grade five students ventured to Fenway Park, where they worked with a Red Sox data analytics professional to learn how to score on the Green Monster. Students in the Upper School Statistics and Financial Algebra class use linear regressions to learn how to apply a mathematical lens to information and model behavioral outcomes. In their financial budgeting projects, students use mathematical modeling to demonstrate how they spent a theoretical salary. Teacher Kate Tremarche encourages students to not simply look at the numbers, but to also consider the dataÕs impact. Òwe think about what inferences we can make, what ways our culture influences our data, and how we interpret it,Ó she explained. Òstudents are encouraged to be critical of data collection, as it is not collected and presented the same way every time.Ó
From history and computer science to biology and finance, the infusion of data analytics across curricula at Newton Country Day has ignited a passion for critical thinking and innovation among students, paving the way for a future where data literacy is fundamental to all academic disciplines.
Laura Kelly is the digital communications specialist at Newton Country Day School, a Sacred Heart school in Newton, educating girls in grades five through 12.