Introduction to Data Science
Fall 2026
Office Location:
Duke Hall #209
Phone: 909-748-8630
E-Mail: joanna_bieri@redlands.edu
(Email or Teams are my preferred contact methods)
Data Science Lab:
TBA - this is a space for you to get help on your Data Science 101 homework and code!
Office Hours:
Click here for my schedule.
You can also email me for an appointment!
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Class Canvas - for checking grades and taking quizzes
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Important Course Documents
Course Syllabus
Schedule of Topics
NOTE: as the semester progresses we may change up the schedule a bit to suit our class pace and interests. The most recent schedule will be posted here.
Data Science Laptop Loan Request
Check out Data Science in a Box - Intro to Data Science - using R.
Our course follows much of this content and thus is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International.
Final Project Information
Cheat Sheet of Commands 1
Cheat Sheet of Commands 2
Video - Common Errors in Python
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Daily Assignments - Videos - Reading - Handouts
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Day 1 - Tuesday - 9/1 - Computer Setup
The overall goal of this class is to engage in curious exploration. Please be patient with yourself and others! Along the way you will learn how to make pretty graphs, some basics of programming in python, and how to think like a Data Scientist.
PRE-CLASS:Each class day will have content that you should explore before class. I build my lectures, labs, and discussions assuming that you have done the work before class. Each day you will submit what you have completed before class. It does not have to be perfect, but it must show your attempt to engage in the material.
CLASS TIME:
** If you are one to leave tabs open, remember to occasionally refresh the page!Each class will have daily in class content.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Computer Setup Notes (how to) - Set up your computer (important that this is done this week)
Setup not working? Troubleshooting steps
Issues installing Anaconda? Click here (only if you already installed Anaconda)
Notes and Slides Notes - What is Data Science?
Slides - What is Data Science?
Homework Homework - Day 1 (download .ipynb)
Download each day's notebook from this page and move it into that Day's folder in your GitHub repo.Start Prepping for Day 2 - click on the Day 2 link and complete the PRE-CLASS materials.
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Day 2 - Thursday - 9/3 - Hello World
PRE-CLASS:Video: How to be Successful This video is to walk you through being a successful student in this class, the workflow, submitting homework, etc.
CLASS TIME:
Notes - Hello World!
Video: Hello World!
Homework - Day 2 (download .ipynb)
Download each day's notebook from this page and move it into that Day's folder in your GitHub repo.
Take the quiz on Canvas!
** If you are one to leave tabs open, remember to occasionally refresh the page!Slides - Hello World - Our first data science exploration!
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Time to work on homework
Get help with technology
Submit Day 1 & Day 2 homework by pushing to your GitHub repo by Sunday 9/6 11:59pm.
Start Prepping for Day 3 - click on the Day 3 link and complete the PRE-CLASS materials.
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Day 3 - Tuesday - 9/8 - Data and Visualization
PRE-CLASS:Notes - Data and Visualization
CLASS TIME:
Video - Data and Visualization
Homework - Day 3 (download .ipynb)
Download each day's notebook from this page and move it into that Day's folder in your GitHub repo.
Take the quiz on Canvas!
Slides - Data and Visualization
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Homework questions
Extra in class Plots!
Get help with technology
Colors
MarkersSubmit Day 3 & Day 4 homework by pushing to your GitHub repo by Sunday 9/13 11:59pm.
Start Prepping for Day 4 - click on the Day 4 link and complete the PRE-CLASS materials.
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Day 4 - Thursday - 9/10 - Numerical vs Categorical Data
PRE-CLASS:Notes - Numerical and Categorical Data
CLASS TIME:
Video - Numerical and Categorical Data
Homework - Day 4 (download .ipynb)
Download each day's notebook from this page and move it into that Day's folder in your GitHub repo.
Take the quiz on Canvas!
Slides - Numerical and Categorical Data
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Homework questions
In Class Challenge - CDC Health Data (download .ipynb)
Extra in class Plots!
Get help with technology
Submit Day 3 & Day 4 homework by pushing to your GitHub repo by Sunday 9/13 11:59pm.
Start Prepping for Day 5 - click on the Day 5 link and complete the PRE-CLASS materials.
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Day 5 - Tuesday 9/15 - Data Wrangling
PRE-CLASS:Notes - Data Wrangling
CLASS TIME:
Video - Data Wrangling
Homework - Day 5 (download .ipynb)
Download the homework notebook and move it into your Day5 folder in your repo, then work through it as you follow the notes and video.
Take the quiz on Canvas!
Slides - Data Wrangling
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Homework questions
In class - Data Wrangling Code Session.
Submit Day 5 & Day 6 homework by pushing to your GitHub repo by Sunday 9/20 11:59pm.
Start Prepping for Day 6 - click on the Day 6 link and complete the PRE-CLASS materials.
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Day 6 - Thursday 9/17 - Data Wrangling Continued
PRE-CLASS:Notes - Data Wrangling Continued
CLASS TIME:
Video - Data Wrangling Continued
Homework - Day 6 (download .ipynb)
Download the homework notebook and move it into your Day6 folder in your repo, then work through it as you follow the notes and video.
Take the quiz on Canvas!
Slides - Data Wrangling Continued
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Homework questions
In class - Work on the Exercises together.
Submit Day 5 & Day 6 homework by pushing to your GitHub repo by Sunday 9/20 11:59pm.
Start Prepping for Day 7 - click on the Day 7 link and complete the PRE-CLASS materials.
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Day 7 - Tuesday 9/22 - Joins and Merges
PRE-CLASS:Notes - Data Wrangling Joins and Merges
CLASS TIME:
Video - Data Wrangling Joins and Merges
Homework - Day 7 (download .ipynb)
Download the homework notebook and move it into your Day7 folder in your repo, then work through it as you follow the notes and video.
Cal Fire Wildfire Data - mapdataall.csv (download .csv)
Having trouble with the Cal Fire website? Download the fire data here instead and move mapdataall.csv into your Day8 folder.
Take the quiz on Canvas!
Slides - Joins and Merges
PRACTICE EXAM:
Homework questions
In class - Work on the homework questions together.
Practice Exam 1 (download .ipynb)
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Video - About the Practice Exam
Not graded, but please give it a real try! Put it in your Day7 folder and push what you have. We will go over it together on Review Day (Thursday 10/1), so bring your work.
Submit Day 7 & Day 8 homework by pushing to your GitHub repo by Sunday 9/27 11:59pm.
Start Prepping for Day 8 - click on the Day 8 link and complete the PRE-CLASS materials.
Exam 1 is handed out on Review Day, Thursday 10/1.
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Day 8 - Thursday 9/24 - Reading in Data and Data Types
PRE-CLASS:Notes - Reading in Data and Data Types - fixing Data Errors
CLASS TIME:
Video - Reading in Data and Data Types - fixing Data Errors
Homework - Day 8 (download .ipynb)
Download the homework notebook and move it into your Day8 folder in your repo, then work through it as you follow the notes and video.
You will also need the fire data: go to the Cal Fire Incidents page, scroll to the bottom, download ALL DATA AS CSV, and move mapdataall.csv into your Day8 folder. If the Cal Fire site gives you trouble, download mapdataall.csv here instead.
Take the quiz on Canvas!
Slides - Reading in Data and Data Types
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Homework questions
Talk about Exam 1 - Cheat Sheet of Commands
Submit Day 7 & Day 8 homework by pushing to your GitHub repo by Sunday 9/27 11:59pm.
Keep working on the Practice Exam from Day 7 and bring it to Review Day, Thursday 10/1.
Start Prepping for Day 9 - click on the Day 9 link and complete the PRE-CLASS materials.
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Day 9 - Tuesday 9/29 - Importing, Recoding, and Visualizing Data
PRE-CLASS:Notes - Importing, Re-coding, and Visualizing Data
CLASS TIME:
Video - Importing, Re-coding, and Visualizing Data
Homework - Day 9 (download .ipynb)
Download the homework notebook and move it into your Day9 folder in your repo, then work through it as you follow the notes and video. The data loads straight from the class website, so there is nothing else to download.
Take the quiz on Canvas!
Slides - Importing, Re-coding, and Visualizing Data
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Homework questions
Talk about the Final Projects
Submit Day 9 homework by pushing to your GitHub repo by Sunday 10/4 11:59pm.
Review Day is Thursday 10/1. Bring your work on the Practice Exam from Day 7. Exam 1 is handed out that day.
Data Ethics starts Tuesday 10/27 (Day 13). Start exploring some articles to see what people are saying about ethics in Data Science. I put together a list organized by topic: Data Ethics Readings
Some of the articles are on sites that may ask you to make an account (like the New York Times). If you hit a paywall, pick a different article.
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Review Day - Thursday 10/1 - Exam 1 Review
PRE-CLASS:Finish as much of the Practice Exam (download .ipynb) as you can and push it to your Day7 folder. Bring your work and your questions!
CLASS TIME:
Look over the Cheat Sheet of Commands for Exam 1.
Go over the Practice Exam together
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Practice Exam Solutions (download .ipynb)
Your questions about anything from Days 1-9
How Exam 1 works (see the Exam 1 link below)
Exam 1 opens on Canvas today, Thursday 10/1. Do Part 1 on your own and push Exam1.ipynb to your repo before class on Tuesday 10/6.
Submit Day 9 homework by pushing to your GitHub repo by Sunday 10/4 11:59pm.
Start looking for data for your Final Project. The Data Check In is due Sunday 10/18.
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Exam 1 - Tuesday 10/6 - Work in Groups
PRE-CLASS:- Exam 1 opens on Canvas Thursday 10/1.
CLASS TIME:
- This exam is open notes, open computer, etc - but you cannot use any type of human or AI intervention. This includes asking how to do an entire problem online, asking ChatGPT or any other AI, or working with friends.
- The pre-class work on the exam must be COMPLETELY YOUR OWN!
- Make a notebook called Exam1.ipynb in the main folder of your repo (not inside a Day folder). Commit and Push your first draft before class starts on Tuesday 10/6.
Work on Exam 1 in Groups
ANNOUNCEMENTS:After class, keep working on the exam on your own (same rules as before class) and push your final version by Tuesday 10/6 11:59pm. Whatever is in your repo at the deadline is what gets graded.
Get initial data for your Final Project. The Data Check In is due Sunday 10/18.
Start Prepping for Day 10 - click on the Day 10 link and complete the PRE-CLASS materials.
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Day 10 - Thursday 10/8 - Effective Visualization and Data Storytelling
PRE-CLASS:Notes - Effective Visualization and Data Storytelling
CLASS TIME:
Video - Effective Visualization and Data Storytelling
Homework - Day 10 (download .ipynb)
Download the homework notebook and move it into your Day10 folder in your repo, then work through it as you follow the notes and video. The data loads straight from the class website, so there is nothing else to download.
Take the quiz on Canvas!
Slides - Effective Visualization and Data Storytelling
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Homework questions
Submit Day 10 homework by pushing to your GitHub repo by Sunday 10/11 11:59pm.
No class Tuesday 10/13 - Fall Break!
The Final Project Data Check In is due Sunday 10/18 11:59pm.
Data Ethics starts Tuesday 10/27 (Day 13). Keep exploring the Data Ethics Readings.
Start Prepping for Day 11 - click on the Day 11 link and complete the PRE-CLASS materials.
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Fall Break - Tuesday 10/13 - No Class
No class Tuesday 10/13 - Fall Break!
We meet again Thursday 10/15 for Day 11 - click on the Day 11 link and complete the PRE-CLASS materials.
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Day 11 - Thursday 10/15 - Getting Data and Simpson's Paradox
PRE-CLASS:Notes - Getting Data and Simpson's Paradox
CLASS TIME:
Video - Getting Data and Simpson's Paradox
Homework - Day 11 (download .ipynb)
Download the homework notebook and move it into your Day11 folder in your repo, then work through it as you follow the notes and video. The data loads straight from the class website, so there is nothing else to download.
Take the quiz on Canvas!
Slides - Getting Data and Simpson's Paradox
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Homework questions
Submit Day 11 homework by pushing to your GitHub repo by Sunday 10/18 11:59pm.
The Final Project Data Check In is due Sunday 10/18 11:59pm.
Data Ethics starts Tuesday 10/27 (Day 13). You should be reading your Data Ethics Book/Articles! See the Data Ethics Readings.
Start Prepping for Day 12 - click on the Day 12 link and complete the PRE-CLASS materials.
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Day 12 - Tuesday 10/20 - Doing Data Science and Web Scraping
PRE-CLASS:There are two lectures today. The first one will help you with your Final Project Proposal.
CLASS TIME:
Notes - Doing Data Science
Video - Doing Data Science
Notes - Web Scraping
Video - Web Scraping
Homework - Day 12 (download .ipynb)
Download the homework notebook and move it into your Day12 folder in your repo, then work through it as you follow the Web Scraping notes and video. The homework gets its data from practice websites, so you need to be online.
Take the quiz on Canvas!
Slides - Doing Data Science and Web Scraping
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Homework questions
Day 12 homework is due with Day 13 homework. Submit both by pushing to your GitHub repo by Sunday 11/1 11:59pm (moved from 10/25).
Thursday 10/22 is a Catch-Up Day. No new material, see the Catch-Up Day link below.
Data Ethics starts Tuesday 10/27 (Day 13). Come to class prepared to discuss your ethics reading with your classmates and professor!
Final Project Proposals are due Sunday 11/8 11:59pm.
Start Prepping for Day 13 - click on the Day 13 link and complete the PRE-CLASS materials.
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Catch-Up Day - Thursday 10/22 - Pause and Get Caught Up
No new material today. We are pausing to get caught up!
Details coming soon.
Day 13 (Data Ethics) is now Tuesday 10/27 - click on the Day 13 link and complete the PRE-CLASS materials.
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Day 13 - Tuesday 10/27 - Data Ethics - Misrepresentation and Data Privacy
PRE-CLASS:Notes - Data Ethics - Misrepresentation and Data Privacy
CLASS TIME:
Video - Data Ethics - Misrepresentation and Data Privacy
Homework - Day 13 (download .ipynb)
Download the homework notebook and move it into your Day13 folder in your repo, then work through it as you follow the notes and video. There are more essay questions this time, so write in complete sentences.
Take the quiz on Canvas!
Slides - Data Ethics - Misrepresentation and Data Privacy
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
In Class Discussion - bring your Data Ethics reading!
Submit Day 12 and Day 13 homework by pushing to your GitHub repo by Sunday 11/1 11:59pm.
Start Prepping for Day 14 - click on the Day 14 link and complete the PRE-CLASS materials.
You should be reading/finishing your Data Ethics Book/Articles!
Review Day is Tuesday 11/3. Exam 2 is handed out that day.
Exam 2 will cover:
- Loading data and doing basic analysis - shape, describe(), columns, look for weird data.
- The data in this exam will include NaNs
- Masking data to find specific information.
- Creating new columns in the data frame - doing a calculation using other columns.
- Using groupby(), value_counts(), and sort_values()
- Merging two data frames into one data frame
- Visualizing data both recreating a given plot and coming up with a plot of your own.
- Communicating in written form what the results, data frames (tables) and visualizations (plots) mean in terms of the data.
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Day 14 - Thursday 10/29 - Data Ethics - Algorithmic Bias
PRE-CLASS:Notes - Data Ethics - Algorithmic Bias
CLASS TIME:
Video - Data Ethics - Algorithmic Bias
Homework - Day 14 (download .ipynb)
Download the homework notebook and move it into your Day14 folder in your repo. There is no coding today, the homework is all writing: three questions and your Data Ethics Reading Report.
Take the quiz on Canvas!
Slides - Data Ethics - Algorithmic Bias
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
In Class Discussion
Submit Day 14 homework by pushing to your GitHub repo by Sunday 11/8 11:59pm.
Tuesday 11/3 is our Review Day, and Exam 2 is handed out that day.
Final Project Proposals are due Sunday 11/8 11:59pm.
Each day I will post the lecture videos, homework, reading, and other information. Make sure to check here for each day of class. -
Day 1 - Tuesday - 9/1 - Computer Setup
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Homework Solutions - Exam Review
All Practice Problems and Programming Assignment solutions are available on Canvas
EXAM 1 REVIEW:
Practice Exam 1 (download .ipynb)
Practice Exam 1 Solutions (download .ipynb)
HOMEWORK SOLUTIONS:
Solutions - Day 4 In Class Challenge (CDC Health Data)
Solutions - Day 4 In Class Challenge (download .ipynb)
Final Project Information
Data Ethics Readings
I catch all the buggies in my code!
