Lesson 2: Cherry-Picking and Missing Context

About 30 minutes — Discussion-based lesson

What You Will Learn

This lesson covers:

What cherry-picking means: showing only data that supports your argument
Missing context: numbers without background information
Time frame manipulation: choosing start and end dates that tell your story
How to ask 'what is missing from this graph?'

What cherry-picking means: showing only data that supports your argument

This section covers the key ideas about what cherry-picking means: showing only data that supports your argument. Discuss with your group or family and explore the concepts together.

Missing context: numbers without background information

This section covers the key ideas about missing context: numbers without background information. Discuss with your group or family and explore the concepts together.

Time frame manipulation: choosing start and end dates that tell your story

This section covers the key ideas about time frame manipulation: choosing start and end dates that tell your story. Discuss with your group or family and explore the concepts together.

How to ask 'what is missing from this graph?'

This section covers the key ideas about how to ask 'what is missing from this graph?'. Discuss with your group or family and explore the concepts together.

Check Your Understanding

1. What is cherry-picking in data?

Answer: Selecting only the data points that support your argument while hiding ones that contradict it. It creates a one-sided, misleading picture.

2. What is missing context?

Answer: When a graph shows numbers but leaves out important background. '50% increase!' sounds dramatic until you learn it went from 2 to 3.

3. How can time frames be manipulated?

Answer: By choosing start and end dates carefully. A stock that dropped 50% this year might still be up 200% over 5 years. The time frame you choose tells different stories.

4. What question should you always ask about any graph?

Answer: 'What is NOT being shown?' Missing data is often more important than what is displayed.

Key Takeaways

What cherry-picking means: showing only data that supports your argument
Missing context: numbers without background information
Time frame manipulation: choosing start and end dates that tell your story
How to ask 'what is missing from this graph?'

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