Session 5 Family Guide

Data Science for Young Minds — Tips for families facilitating Session 5: Does This Cause That?

Overview

Ice cream sales and sunburns both go up in summer. Does ice cream cause sunburns? Learn correlation vs. causation.

Facilitating Each Lesson

Lesson 1: Things That Go Together

Tip: Sometimes two things increase or decrease at the same time. But does one cause the other? Take time to let your child explore and share their thoughts.

Try asking: "What do you think about what correlation means: two things change together?"

Lesson 2: Ice Cream and Sunburns

Tip: The classic example: ice cream sales and sunburn rates both increase in summer. Does ice cream cause sunburns? Take time to let your child explore and share their thoughts.

Try asking: "What do you think about the ice cream-sunburn correlation: both go up in summer?"

Lesson 3: Real Causes vs. Fake Connections

Tip: Learn to evaluate claims about cause and effect. Some are real; some just look real. Take time to let your child explore and share their thoughts.

Try asking: "What do you think about real causation: we know the mechanism (how one thing actually causes another)?"

Lesson 4: Cause and Effect Detective

Tip: Practice evaluating real-world claims. Is it correlation, causation, or coincidence? Take time to let your child explore and share their thoughts.

Try asking: "What do you think about three categories: causation (one really causes the other), correlation (they happen together but a third thing may cause both), coincidence (random)?"

Conversation Starters

"What did you learn about what correlation means: two things change together?"
"What did you learn about the ice cream-sunburn correlation: both go up in summer?"
"What did you learn about real causation: we know the mechanism (how one thing actually causes another)?"
"What did you learn about three categories: causation (one really causes the other), correlation (they happen together but a third thing may cause both), coincidence (random)?"