This paper explores a comprehensive framework to develop students’ data literacy by guiding them in making sense of complex data visualizations. With the growing complexity and prevalence of data visualizations in media, it’s crucial to equip students with the skills to critically analyze and engage with these visual forms of data. This toolkit emphasizes the importance of fostering data habits of mind, rather than mere computational proficiency, and encourages students to consider what a visualization is conveying, how it was created, and why it was created.