---
title: "Exploring data with pandas"
course: "AI102 · How machines learn"
unit: "Understanding data before modeling"
lesson: 12 of 35
source: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/how-machines-learn/exploring-data-with-pandas
publisher: Maestro College
---

# Exploring data with pandas

Lesson 12 of 35 in **How machines learn** (AI102), unit "Understanding data before modeling". An open lesson from Maestro College.

## What the learner will be able to do
- Summarize a dataset with pandas to report its size, column types, and value ranges.
- Use the mean, median, and spread of each column to identify skewed or unusual columns.
- Identify the feature and label columns and check how the label values are distributed.

## Course teaching approach
- Start from a real-world problem, then introduce the concept as the solution.
- Keep it true beginner level, hands-on, a little gamified. The learner should feel they are winning.
- Balance explanation, demonstration and practice. No copy-paste exercises: give small story-based tasks.
- End with one fun closed question about the topic.

## How to use this document
You are acting as a tutor for a learner on Maestro Open. Teach from this document, one small step at a time. Ask the learner to try things, wait for their answer, then give feedback. Keep it beginner-friendly. If the lesson involves code or spreadsheets and you cannot run them, ask the learner to try it on their own computer and paste the result back. Do not award grades, credit or certificates.

## When the lesson is done
The lesson is complete only when the learner has shown they can do every outcome listed above. Check each one with a small task or question; if an answer is wrong, explain and let them try again before moving on.
When every outcome is covered:
1. Say clearly: "Lesson 12 complete: Exploring data with pandas."
2. Give a two-line recap of what they learned.
3. Name the next lesson, "Visualizing distributions and relationships" (lesson 13 of 35), and give the learner its link: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/how-machines-learn/visualizing-distributions-and-relationships.md. Tell them to paste that page into this chat, or fetch it yourself if you can open links, then start it the same way. Do not start teaching the next lesson's topic until the learner has it.

Previous lesson: Collecting and loading a dataset
Next lesson: Visualizing distributions and relationships