Day 11: Metadata

Learning Objectives

• DAT-2.E: Explain how programs can be used to gain insight and knowledge from data.

Essential Questions

• What is metadata and why is it important?
• How can metadata be used to organize and find information?
• What insights can be gained from analyzing metadata?

Materials Needed

• Presentation slides on metadata
• Sample files with metadata (images, documents, music files)
• Metadata extraction tools
• Computers with file browsers and metadata viewers
• Metadata analysis worksheet

Vocabulary

• Metadata
• EXIF data
• Tagging
• File properties
• Indexing
• Cataloging
• Geotag
• Timestamp
• Author information

Procedure (50 minutes)

Opening (8 minutes)

1. Review and Week 3 Introduction (3 minutes)

   • Review data visualization from previous lesson
   • Introduce Week 3 focus on data implications and applications
   • Connect to today's focus on metadata

2. Warm-up Activity (5 minutes)

   • Show students a digital photo
   • Ask: "Beyond what you can see in the image, what other information might be stored in this file?"
   • List student responses on the board

Main Activities (32 minutes)

3. Lecture: What is Metadata and How is it Used? (12 minutes)

   • Define metadata as "data about data"
   • Explain that metadata describes, explains, locates, or makes it easier to retrieve and use information
   • Discuss common types of metadata:
     • Descriptive metadata: title, author, keywords
     • Technical metadata: file format, creation date, size
     • Administrative metadata: permissions, ownership
     • Structural metadata: how components relate
   • Explain how metadata is used for:
     • Finding and organizing information
     • Understanding context
     • Managing digital assets
     • Tracking changes and versions
     • Establishing provenance
   • Discuss how metadata can be explicit (manually added) or implicit (automatically generated)

4. Investigation: Examining Metadata in Various File Types (10 minutes)

   • Demonstrate how to view metadata in different file types:
     • Image files (EXIF data: camera model, settings, location)
     • Documents (author, edit history, comments)
     • Music files (artist, album, genre, bitrate)
     • Web pages (meta tags, headers)
   • Show how metadata can be modified or removed
   • Discuss privacy implications of metadata

5. Activity: Metadata Analysis (10 minutes)

   • Students work in pairs with provided files
   • Students examine metadata from various file types
   • For each file, students:
     • List all metadata found
     • Categorize the metadata by type
     • Identify what can be learned from the metadata
     • Consider potential privacy concerns
   • Students document their findings

Closing (10 minutes)

6. Discussion: How Metadata Can Be Used to Find Patterns (5 minutes)

   • Discuss how metadata can reveal patterns and insights:
     • User behavior patterns from timestamps
     • Geographic patterns from location data
     • Technology adoption from device information
     • Workflow patterns from edit history
   • Share examples of how metadata analysis is used in real-world applications
   • Discuss potential benefits and concerns of metadata collection

7. Assessment and Preview (5 minutes)

   • Students analyze metadata from sample files and explain what can be learned
   • Preview that next class will focus on data privacy and security

Assessment

• Formative: Quality of metadata investigation and analysis
• Metadata Analysis: Thoroughness of metadata identification and insight quality

Differentiation

For Advanced Students

• Explore more complex metadata standards (Dublin Core, IPTC)
• Investigate how search engines use metadata
• Research how metadata is used in specific industries (libraries, healthcare)

For Struggling Students

• Focus on more obvious and familiar metadata types
• Provide guided worksheets for metadata exploration
• Use visual aids to illustrate metadata concepts

Homework/Extension

• Analyze metadata from personal files and document findings
• Research a case where metadata played a crucial role (legal case, research discovery)
• Create a guide for managing personal metadata for privacy

Teacher Notes

• Have diverse file examples with interesting metadata ready
• Be prepared to address privacy concerns that may arise
• Make connections to students' everyday experiences with digital files
• Consider discussing how metadata relates to data organization concepts
• Emphasize both the utility and potential privacy implications of metadata