Classroom Resources

A number of projects at the Institute for Social Research are committed to developing tools that can be used by high school and college educators to bring the social sciences to life in a classroom setting. You will find below links to these projects.

The Panel Study on Income Dynamics

The Panel Study on Income Dynamics is a longitudinal survey of a representative sample of U.S. individuals and the families in which they reside. It has been ongoing since 1968. The data were collected annually through 1997, and biennially starting in 1999. The data files contain the full span of information collected over the course of the study. PSID data can be used for cross-sectional, longitudinal, and intergenerational analysis and for studying both individuals and families.

Public access files from the PSID archive were first delivered 'in bulk' over the Internet in 1995. Since then there has been a growth of functionality in data delivery via the PSID web site. Correspondingly, there has been an emerging use of the PSID data sources for instructional as well as research purposes. The PSID tutorials are geared for undergraduate courses.

http://psidonline.isr.umich.edu/Guide/tutorials/tutorials_home.html

Social Science Data Network

The Social Science Data Network brings together exercise modules, huge datasets, easy-to-use software, and faculty from around the world. SSDAN makes it easy to introduce data analysis exercises into introductory and substantive courses taken by undergraduate and even high school students. The datasets draw on U.S. Census materials and provide the material needed for students to explore sociological topics and test hypotheses about the society they live in. The SSDAN materials are geared for undergraduate instruction.

http://www.ssdan.net/

CensusScope

CensusScope, developed by the Social Science Data Analysis Network (SSDAN) at the University of Michigan, is an easy-to-use tool for investigating U.S. demographic trends. With eye-catching graphics and exportable trend data, CensusScope is designed for generalists and specialists.

http://www.censusscope.org/index.html

Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research

• Supplementary Empirical Teaching Units in Political Science (SETUPS)
  Computer-related modules designed for use in teaching introductory courses in American government and politics. The modules are intended to demonstrate the process of examining evidence and reaching conclusions in a way that stimulates students to think independently and critically, with a deeper understanding of substantive content. They enable students with no previous training to make use of the computer to analyze data on political behavior.

• A SETUPS web site devoted to voting behavior in the 2004 and 2008 elections

• Classroom-ready data modules

• Online Learning Center (OLC)
  The OLC offers Data-Driven Learning Guides that supplement undergraduate social science coursework with learning exercises using actual ICPSR data. They cover 42 subject areas in political science, sociology, and social psychology. They can be completed by the student or used for classroom demonstrations.