Website: State Facts

STATE FACTS from United States Census Bureau is an easy-to-use source for information about US states.

This interactive website provides information for each US state and territory. Users can click on the place on the map or select a location from the pull-down menu.

In addition to the state facts, the website also provides activity ideas for teachers.

Librarians will find this to be a fun way for elementary students to review information about US states. Youth will enjoy clicking on each state for information. Connect the information with a math activity on building graphs. Or, weave the resource into your data literacy curriculum.

To visit the website, go to https://www.census.gov/schools/facts/.

Website Review: Seeing Theory

SEEING THEORY is a visual introduction to probability and statistics.

Designed for AP high school and college students, this interactive mathematics book contains text and visuals along with engaging interactive visualizations that help learners view key concepts and examples in meaningful ways. The project is organized into six chapters with each chapter containing three parts. A printable draft is also available as a PDF.

Librarians will find this interactive textbook to be useful for students and teachers seeking a visual way to learn probability and statistics.

To visit the website, go to http://students.brown.edu/seeing-theory/.

Website Review: A Visual Introduction to Machine Learning

A VISUAL INTRODUCTION TO MACHINE LEARNING is a web-based, interactive infographic explaining how data sets are used to create machine learning models.

As users scroll down the web page, they are taken step-by-step through the process of understanding machine learning using the example of distinguishing homes in New York from homes in San Francisco. Using visually rich charts, diagrams, and other illustrations, users explore the fundamentals of machine learning.

Librarians will find this easy-to-use website provides an excellent introduction to a complex topic associated with the mathematics and computer science curriculum. Pair it will books associated with statistical thinking and computer science. Also, weave it into the data literacy curriculum.

To visit the website, go to http://www.r2d3.us/visual-intro-to-machine-learning-part-1/.

Technology review: SCOTUS Blog and App

The SCOTUS blog and app provide up-to-date information about the U.S. Supreme Court.

Maintained by well-respected professionals and having received many awards, this blog provides up-to-date information about all aspects of the Supreme Court of the United States.

In addition to frequent blog postings, the website also contains fascinating information. The Merits Cases provides access to each October Term. The Petitions section lists the docket number, case page, and issues for petitions they’re tracking. The Statistics page provides data on dispositions by sitting. The Special Features page highlights articles and multimedia of particular interest. The Plain English page features background information, procedures, a glossary of legal terms, biographies of the justices, and blog entries for novices. The Videos page links to interesting presentations, speeches, and panel discussions. The Resources page links to background information of interest including the multimedia library and blogroll. Finally, the Administration page provides information about the website and connects with social media.

The app provides some of the information provided at the website, but formatting problems can make it difficult to access some content. On the other hand, students who just want quick access to key ideas may like the streamlined approach of the website.

Librarians will find this website useful for students studying US government. Easier to access than some of the government sites, the Plain English area is of particular interest to teachers because of the way it provides background information for people interested in learning the procedures and terminology related to the courts. Teachers may also find some of the videos useful for classroom activities.

To visit the website, go to http://www.scotusblog.com/
To download the app, go to https://itunes.apple.com/…/supreme-court-united…/id723205705.

Book Review: By the Numbers

BY THE NUMBERS: 110.01 COOL INFOGRAPHICS from National Geographic Kids is packed with amazing statistics, facts, and figures.

The book begins with an introduction to infographics and a table of contents providing quick access to specific types of visuals such as word clouds, heat maps, and timelines. Each two-page spread contains an attractive infographic containing facts, graphs, charts, word clouds, maps, photographs, timelines, diagrams, or other types of engaging images. Featuring measurements, trends, statistics, and other kinds of data, this book will bring numbers alive to middle grade readers.

Covering a wide range of subjects, each reader will find topics of interest to explore. Woven throughout the book are interviews with people who work with numbers ever day as part of their jobs.

Librarians will find this book to be a great way to connect infographics with math and information literacy. Create a display containing this book along with others featuring infographics. Provide youth with tools for creating their own infographic projects.

Published by National Geographic Kids on October 13, 2015.