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Data literacy – the ability to read, analyze, interpret, evaluate and argue with data and data visualizations – is an essential competency in social studies. This study aims to examine the degree to which US state standards require teachers to teach data literacy in social studies, addressing the questions: to what extent are US social studies teachers required to teach data literacy? If they are required to teach it, are they provided with guidance about competencies to address at each school or grade level and with respect to particular content?

The study used content analysis, using a variety of priori and emergent codes, to review social studies standards documents from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Findings indicate that although state standards suggest that data visualizations should play a role in social studies instruction, they provide poor guidance for a coherent, progressive and critical approach across grade levels.

Researchers currently know little about if and how teachers address data literacy in social studies education. This study provides a snapshot of guidance teachers across states are given for teaching data literacy, and by extension, the quality of data literacy instruction recommended for students across the USA.

Over the last several decades, individuals have had access to and encountered more data than ever before. Data can be used to persuade people how to vote, support policies, adopt arguments or agendas and buy products. Data directly relate to our everyday lives including our finances, careers, educational performance and health. Therefore, it is more critical than ever for individuals and students to become data literate. This article presents a study examining the use of data visualizations in K-12 history lessons from eight popular online curricular resources.

The method employed was content analysis of 1,356 lesson plans across the eight websites.

About a third of the history lessons reviewed contained data visualizations, but there were mixed results across websites as to whether lesson plans provided guidance on data literacy instruction.

Because online lesson plans frequently miss opportunities to use data visualizations to deepen students’ understanding and support data literacy skills, teachers need to be aware of missed opportunities and consider ways to enhance or revise the lessons.

This study provides insight into the likelihood that history lessons found on popular online curriculum websites will support data literacy instruction. The lack of pedagogical guidance in such curricular resources underscores the importance of including data literacy in teacher education and professional development.