We've been busy updating our student worksheets, slide decks, and teacher guides and want to share our hard work with you all! This month we are putting a spotlight on our Megadrought in the Colorado River Basin lesson and the Data Sensemaking Strategy "Zoom In."

Why this strategy: At Data Puzzles, we love engaging students with authentic data sets collected by scientists in the field. However, those large and variable data sets can be overwhelming when we try to take in the entire thing at once. Zoom In takes large data sets and makes them more digestible and comprehensible!

Data sensemaking in action: In Megadrought, students are investigating factors that are contributing to the megadrought in the Colorado River Basin. In order to test their predictions about what is causing the megadrought students look at regional data collected over a 150 year period. First, pairs of students begin by looking at either temperature or precipitation data in the Colorado River Basin over a 50 year period. Next, the pairs group up to look at either the full temperature or precipitation data set over the 150 years of data. Lastly, students look at temperature and precipitation together. Throughout the Zoom In, students are encouraged to ask questions, annotate their graphs, and share what they are noticing. You can find the "Zoomed in" data sets in this slide deck.

Why it works: This strategy helps to focus students on patterns that build in a stepwise process. It also supports students to attend to details that may be lost at a larger scale and develop curiosity about the larger picture.

• Watch our webinar with curriculum developer Jon Griffith to gain more insights into the Zoom In strategy and Megadrought in the Colorado River Basin lesson. The webinar also highlights the work that Seth Arens, the featured scientist in this lesson, has been doing related to the lesson.

• You too can bring more data sensemaking opportunities into your classrooms by checking out our Teacher Strategies for Data Sensemaking Reference Sheet.

Here at Data Puzzles, we aim to provide you with high quality resources that you can easily adapt to your classrooms. And we know that in 2026, print based lessons are a hot topic! Here are some quick tips to cut down on your printed page count:

• Make half sheet prints - Printing student handouts at half size is a great option, especially if you use science notebooks or interactive notebooks. Students can glue the half sheets directly into their notebooks, keeping all their thinking in one place while cutting paper use in half.
• Print class copies - Not every resource needs to be one-to-one, particularly Puzzle Plots. You can put them in page protectors or have students use sticky notes to annotate as they read.
• Combine printed and digital resources - A hybrid approach can go a long way. For example, students might complete a model on paper or annotate directly on a printed graph, while accessing images, readings, or extension questions digitally. This keeps printing focused on the most thinking-heavy tasks.
• Nearpod, Pear Deck, etc - These tools allow students to annotate graphs, respond to prompts, and share ideas in real time. When paired with discussion strategies, they are especially effective for whole-class sensemaking and formative checks during Data Puzzle lessons.