The primary goal of this lesson is to enable students to understand how demographic factors can influence U.S. election outcomes. By using the ACS 2016 5-Year Estimates dataset in the SSDAN WebCHIP tool, students will learn to identify key variables, such as age, sex, race, education, and employment, and interpret their relationships with voter behavior. Additionally, students will develop data analysis and visualization skills through hands-on practice with MS Excel or Google Sheets tools, preparing them to analyze real-world datasets critically and effectively.
This lesson is designed for an introductory course on computers and applications, making it accessible to undergraduate students across all majors, regardless of their prior experience with data analysis tools like MS Excel or Google Sheets. It complements a broader curriculum on data analysis and can be completed within a 1–2-hour class session. While effective as a standalone module, this activity can also be integrated into a larger project focused on demographic studies or political data analysis. Students will need access to computers with internet, the SSDAN WebCHIP tool, and basic data visualization software.
The lesson starts with an introduction to the ACS 2016 dataset and the SSDAN WebCHIP tool, followed by a series of activities where students analyze various demographic factors and visualize them in the context of U.S. elections. Students will be guided through selecting and filtering data related to age, sex, race, education, and employment status to create visualizations that highlight demographic differences. Teaching materials include instructions on accessing WebCHIP.
Here is the lesson plan that can be used as a reference: 
EB Lesson Plan_SSDAN.docx
Students will be assessed on their ability to extract and interpret relevant data, create accurate visualizations, and synthesize their findings. The assessment consists of a mini-report where students submit screenshots of their WebCHIP outputs, their visualizations in a dashboard or similar format, and a brief written interpretation of their results.
To ensure a smooth lesson, familiarize yourself with the WebCHIP interface and the specific ACS 2016 variables that are accessible for age, employment, and education. Encourage students to start by exploring a single variable, like age, before moving on to more complex analyses involving multiple variables. For students who struggle with visualizations, provide additional examples or templates to help them create meaningful charts. Also, emphasize ethical considerations in using demographic data for electoral analysis, prompting a discussion on responsible data use and its implications.