lesson 3.13.6 presenting the findings

Summarising Your Data Project on a Single Slide

Have you ever seen a chart in the news or on YouTube and instantly understood the point? That’s the power of good data storytelling! Data is useless if you can't explain it to anyone. This lesson is all about that final, most important step.

You're going to become a data storyteller. But first, you have to be a detective. You'll get a file with a bunch of different data, and you'll have to choose one mission (a question) and find the right tool (the correct chart) to solve it.

Just like a professional Data Scientist or Business Analyst presenting their findings, you'll build your own chart and then use it to tell the 'story' that was hidden in the numbers, all on a single slide.

Learning Outcomes

The Building Blocks (Factual Knowledge)

Recall the definition of knowledge as the understanding derived from analysing information and identifying patterns.

Describe the principles of good presentation design, such as clarity, consistency, and audience awareness.

The Connections and Theories (Conceptual Knowledge)

Analyse the difference between data (raw facts), information (a graph), and knowledge (the conclusion).

Evaluate how a visualisation can be used to support a conclusion.

The Skills and Methods (Procedural Outcomes)

Apply spreadsheet skills to select an appropriate chart type (bar, pie, line, histogram, or scatter) and create it from a given dataset.

Apply presentation skills to create a single, well-structured slide that incorporates text and a chart.

Create a clear narrative that summarises a data project (question, visualisation, conclusion).

Digital Skill Focus: Use spreadsheet software to create charts and presentation software to incorporate and format various media types.

You are about to run a mini-project that covers the most important parts of the Data Science Lifecycle. You will be given a spreadsheet containing several "tabs" of data. Your first job is to be a detective: you must choose one question to investigate.

Your choice of question will determine which data you use and which chart you build. After you've created your chart, you will move on to the final, most important, step: Communication.

What is a 'Data Story'?

A 'data story' isn't just showing someone a chart. It's a short, clear explanation that answers three questions:

What was the question? (This gives your audience context).

What did you find out? (This is your visualisation or information).

What does it mean? (This is your conclusion or a statement of the knowledge you have gained from your investigation – the "so what?").

Task 1 Data Detective: Choose Your Mission

Get Organised

Open the spreadsheet file social-media-data.xlsx.

Remember to click the Enable Editing button on the yellow toolbar if it appears.

Organise your workspace.

Choose a mission

Your first task is to choose ONE mission (question) from the list below. Once you have your question, find the correct data tab, select the data and go to Insert > Chart to create the correct type of chart.

The 5 Missions (Choose ONE)

Question: What is the most popular social media app?
Chart Type: Bar Chart
Data: Use the 'popularity' tab

Question: What is the percentage split of users by gender?
Chart Type: Pie Chart
Data: Use the 'demographics' tab

Question: What is the trend of new signups over the last 6 months?
Chart Type: Line Chart
Data: Use the 'growth' tab

Question: What is the most common amount of time (in minutes) spent on the app per day?
Chart Type: Histogram
Data: Use the 'usage log' tab. You only need to select Column C (Minutes Per Day).

Question: Is there a relationship between a user's age and the time they spend on the app?
Chart Type: Scatter Plot
Data: Use the 'usage log' tab. You need to select both Column B (Age) and Column C (Minutes Per Day).

Outcome: I will have a spreadsheet with the correct data and a single, well-labelled chart (bar, pie, line, histogram, or scatter) that is ready to answer my chosen question.

OK. Now that you've got the question, you've chosen your data and created your chart, it's time to communicate your findings!

Task 2 The Data Story Showcase

Making Your Slide (10 minutes)

Open a new, blank presentation (e.g., Google Slides or PowerPoint).

Your challenge is to tell the entire story of your data mission on just one slide.

Your slide must have three things:

The Title: Make your title the question you chose.

The Visualisation: Copy your chart from your spreadsheet (right-click on the chart background > Copy) and paste it into the middle of your slide (right-click > Paste). Make sure it's big and easy to read, especially the labels.

The Conclusion: Write one single sentence at the bottom that states the knowledge you gained. This is the answer to your question!.

Follow good design rules

Use a clear, professional font (like Arial or Calibri).

Use a good size and colour (e.g., black text on a white background).

Don't add any distracting clip art, animations, or backgrounds!

Outcome (Part 1): I will have a single, clear presentation slide that summarises my data mission, including my question, my key chart, and my final conclusion.

The Critique (15 minutes)

Consolidation task: As you watch your classmates present their data stories, pick one presentation (other than your own). On a sticky note or a scrap of paper, write down your "Two Stars and a Wish" feedback for them.

⭐ Star 1 (Clarity): What was one thing that was very clear about their data story?
⭐ Star 2 (Insight): What was the most interesting piece of knowledge you learned from their slide?
🤞 Wish (Improvement): What one change could make their slide even more persuasive?

Outcome (Part 2): I will have used my understanding of good presentation design to give constructive and helpful feedback to a classmate.

Today you have learnt how to be a data storyteller, choosing the right visualisation to turn raw data into a clear and persuasive conclusion, just like a professional data scientist.