Module 6 Handling data
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Can I explain what information a graph or chart is showing?

Example review questions

  • What is this graph telling you?
    A line graph. Temperature on the y axis, months on the x axis. Month 1 is 3, month 2 is 5, month 3 is 15, month 4 is 13, month 5 is 20, month 6 is 23, month 7 is 20, month 8 is 26, month 9 is 23, month 10 is 16, month 11 is 9 and month 12 is 4.
  • What could the title be?
  • Lucy said: ‘July, August and September are the hottest months.’ Was she right? Explain your reasoning.
  • Which pairs of months had similar temperatures?

Teaching guidance

This teaching guidance document suggests some of the key vocabulary, models, images and practical equipment that children should experience and be able to use. It also includes some teaching tips to provide a few starting points for ways of supporting children with this area of mathematics.

PDF file Can I explain what information a graph or chart is showing? - teaching guidance | 60KB new window

Consolidation and practice

These resources are to support children in guided or independent work. Roll over the highlighted resources for a description.

PDF file How to use line graph ITP | 142KB new window

SWF file Line graph ITP | 26KB new window

PDF file How to use data handling ITP | 156KB new window

SWF file Data handling ITP | 57KB new window

XLS file Flexible line graph | 61KB new window

DOC file Interpreting information in graphs and charts example questions | 80KB new window

PDF file Springboard 7, Unit 4, Section 2 Charts and tables | 608KB new window

Line graph

itp_line_graph.png

This interactive teaching program (ITP) is an ICT-based tool to support the exploration of handling data. Line graph ITP allows the child or teacher to enter data into a table or select from existing data sets and then create a line graph to represent the data. Data and values on axes can be changed to explore the impact on the graph.

Data handling

itp_data_handling.png

This interactive teaching program (ITP) is an ICT-based tool to support the exploration of data. Data handling ITP allows the child or teacher to enter data into a table and then create a vertical bar chart, a horizontal bar chart or a pie chart. The user can select from existing datasets, which can then be amended to show the impact and change on the charts, or they can enter collected data.

Opportunities to use and apply

Possible contexts include:

  • discussing anomalies in graphs created through science experiments and deciding why these may have occurred;
  • comparing and discussing possible reasons for the population trends of a seaside resort, village and inner city;
  • using data to monitor and improve performance, e.g. data from previous events to plan what types of stall to run at the next school summer fair;
  • using appropriately chosen data selected from a variety of media sources and concerned with topical issues such as healthy eating.

Confirming learning

Ask probing questions such as:

  • What could this graph be showing? Can you think of more than one possibility?
  • How might you label each axis?
  • Could you use a graph like this to represent favourite foods? Why?
A line graph.