My textbook has a feature in every chapter: Dirty Data Alerts. It warns students about ways that data can be manipulated without straight-up lying. I have one Dirty Data Alert dedicated to manipulated y- axes . Like, truncated y -axes. Because that is the way you manipulate a y -axis, right? RIGHT?! Oh, no, there is a new way to manipulate them without lying. Check out this example, pointed out by @SarahStarberry. Here, the y-axis measures the version number. That's all. Not how good the tool is, or how often it is being used. Just the version number. Like...just wait until I come out with JessChattyTalkTalkBot 8.0 and I destroy all existing competition. If this idea was helpful, you'll probably enjoy my textbook, Psychological Statistics for Everyone . It's basically this blog, but organized into a semester.
This post isn't a specific lesson idea, but a resource that will delight your statsy brain. We Have The Data on Instagram ( and elsewhere ) is an account that shares interesting data, data in a variety of formats and from a variety of sources about all sorts of topics. For example: This is anti-brain rot for your IG feed. I also think there are countless classroom examples embedded in the content they share, especially as this account shares specific data points that are data that don't feel like data (like the difference in what 10.2 million will get you in two different parts of the country). I think they could be used in class to get your students to think more like a statistician. Enjoy. If this idea was helpful, you'll probably enjoy my textbook, Psychological Statistics for Everyone . It's basically this blog, but organized into a semester.