Website Review: Social Explorer

SOCIAL EXPLORER is a website and app that provides access to current and historical data in a visual way.

The easiest way to get started is by choosing the Maps option. Users can explore 220 years of data from 1790 to the present. For instance, students can see how the population centers in the United States have shifted over time. Powerful tools allow users to see maps side-by-side, swipe maps, and annotate maps. The storytelling features allows users to create multi-map presentations that incorporate text, images, video, audio, and annotations.

Users can also explore the Table option to display and download tables of data. The professional version provides access to many more data sets.

The Help section includes excellent instructions for using the website to generate maps and tables.

Although not specifically designed for K-12 students, Social Explorer has lots of potential for teaching and learning across the curriculum. Use the website’s blog to gather lots of ideas for integrating this interactive tool across the curriculum.

American Migrations at http://americanmigrations.uic.edu/ is a project that uses Social Explorer to study African American and Latino migrations through American history.

Census Explorer at http://www.census.gov/censusexplorer/ uses Social Explorer to bring U.S. Census Bureau data alive for learners.

Students can use either the website or app to explore the resources. For access to some features, users need to get an account. Additional resources are available with a subscription to the professional edition.

For the website version, go to http://www.socialexplorer.com.
For the website blog, go to http://www.socialexplorer.com/blog/post.
For the Apple iTunes version, go tohttps://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id731993525.
For the Android version, go to https://play.google.com/store/apps/details….