Data Nuggets

Data Nuggets Free activities, developed by scientists & teachers. Data Nuggets bring contemporary research & authentic data to K-16 classrooms.

Data Nuggets are activities that bring current scientific research into the classroom, thus giving students the chance to work with real data – and all its complexities. Data Nuggets give students practice interpreting quantitative information and make claims based on evidence. The standard format of each Nugget provides a brief background to a researcher and their study system, and a small, manag

eable dataset. Students are then challenged to answer a scientific question, using the dataset to support their claim, and are guided through the construction of graphs to facilitate data interpretation. Graphing and content levels allow for differentiated learning for students with any science, math, or reading background. Because of their simplicity and flexibility, Data Nuggets can be used across grades and throughout the school year as students build their quantitative abilities. Data Nuggets are built around data from recent and ongoing research, providing several benefits for researcher and student alike. Scientists who create Data Nuggets will improve their outreach and communication skills as they face the challenge of conveying the story in their data to a broad audience. Data Nuggets help broaden the impact of a scientist by simultaneously sharing their research and increasing scientific literacty in society. The use of current research has the added benefit of capturing the attention of students by engaging them with more than just the conclusions of a study, but the story and process of the researcher behind the ideas and data. While using Data Nuggets, students get excited about a research topic while increasing their quantitative abilities and competency with the process of science.

New Data Nugget alert! From the IISAGE Biological Integration Institute and Anne Bronikowski's lab comes a long-term dat...
05/01/2026

New Data Nugget alert! From the IISAGE Biological Integration Institute and Anne Bronikowski's lab comes a long-term dataset looking at two ecotypes of garter snakes and their life history strategies. Perfect for teaching lessons on evolution, population dynamics, local adaptation, life history strategies, and more!

Garter snakes are a common sight across North America, but one small species in Northern California has helped scientists learn a lot about how animals adapt to their environment. Since 1972…

Educators at - come find Data Nuggets for an invited talk from 3-4pm!
11/08/2025

Educators at - come find Data Nuggets for an invited talk from 3-4pm!

Come find us today at !
10/30/2025

Come find us today at !


09/11/2025

Climate.gov, which went dark this summer, to be revived by volunteers as climate.us with expanded mission

Looking for an authentic dataset to use in your classroom? Check out this activity on how butterfly wing color impacts t...
09/08/2025

Looking for an authentic dataset to use in your classroom? Check out this activity on how butterfly wing color impacts their risk of being eaten by a predator, or their success in finding a mate!

If you are just getting back into data and graphing early in the school year, choose student version A with the graph provided and students focus on interpretation!

The activities are as follows: Teacher Guide Student activity, Graph Type A, Level 3 Student activity, Graph Type B, Level 3 Student activity, Graph Type C, Level 3 Grading Rubric Scientist Profile…

Insects and other arthropods are great for teaching about ecology, evolution, and topics central to biology. But lesson ...
08/29/2025

Insects and other arthropods are great for teaching about ecology, evolution, and topics central to biology. But lesson plans are scattered far and wide across the web. The Lesson Hive collects lessons, curricula, and supplemental materials, and organizes them by NGSS standards, K-12 Grades, and other criteria. And a few of our Data Nuggets are featured on there as well!

Kids and bugs go together naturally! This is an inventory of peer-evaluated insect and arthropod-related lesson plans.

Welcome to the new school year! Our latest Data Nuggets newsletter just came out featuring some of our newest activities...
08/18/2025

Welcome to the new school year! Our latest Data Nuggets newsletter just came out featuring some of our newest activities and info for requesting access to teacher guides!

As you plan for your upcoming school year, the Data Nuggets Program is here for you as an effective resource to help bring authentic research and scientist stories into your classroom!  

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