Critique to Create: Leverage Real-World Visualizations to Deepen Data Skills (Data Literacy 101)

Students increasingly encounter data visualizations created by others—whether in textbooks, online media, assessments, or classroom activities—making data‐reading skills essential to scientific literacy. Here I share a practical classroom strategy, “Critique to Create,” that helps students critically examine real-world data visualizations by identifying the choices a designer makes and how those choices support or hinder understanding. Students evaluate clarity, design, fit, and trustworthiness, and then translate their observations into actionable insights for improving their own data visualizations. The activity is flexible, content-agnostic, and easy to integrate in short instructional segments, enabling you to strengthen your students “Analyzing and Interpreting Data” practices without sacrificing content time. By engaging in critique, students develop stronger data habits of mind.