Flow of Activities
Activity Numerical data
How can I sort data that is made up of numbers?
Australian Curriculum Alignment
What's this about?
Numeric data includes data counted in whole numbers such as numbers of people and data that is continuous such as height or weight.
Learning tasks
- Record, sort and present numerical data.
- Select age appropriate texts to read to the class. The texts need to feature animals within the plot. Provide each student with a worksheet and ask them to represent the different types and number of animals featured in the story using, for example, pictures, numbers, tally marks. Ask students to sort and arrange the list from least to most. Compare representations of data.
Supporting Resources
Mr Brown can Moo! Can You? Dr Seuss Read Along Aloud Book
This is a video for a read-along version.
And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street Dr. Seuss Read Along Aloud Book
This is a video for a read-along version.
Assessment
Assessment
Suggested approaches may include
- a table of data showing different representations for data.
Activity Categorical Data
How can I sort data that is made up of words or symbols?
Australian Curriculum Alignment
What's this about?
Categorical data is often a word or a symbol that can be ranked or ordered, such as a temperature scale from cold to hot, and those data that cannot be ranked or ordered, such as eye colour, gender or types of pets.
Learning tasks
Record, sort and present categorical data. A relevant example may be to organise a process to record weather data over a month. Create a table to record observations. At a set time each day record the observations, which may include an icon for cloud, sun, wind and rain. Describe each day using a scale from cold, cool, warm to hot. Use the data to create a graph digitally and look for patterns in the data. What conditions are common to days that feel cold?
Assessment
Suggested approaches may include
- a table of data showing different representations for data.
Activity Representing data
What are some ways I can represent data?
Australian Curriculum Alignment
What's this about?
Glyphs are a fun and colourful way for students to collect, explore and sort data about themselves and their classmates using a range of themes. A glyph is a pictorial representation of data, and can be created using drawings, collage or digital artworks.
Rebus stories use pictures or symbols to represent words or parts of words.
Musical notes can be represented in different ways. The rhythm and beat can be represented visually using colours and shapes. Colours can be used to represent particular notes. The block shape can represent the time signature and length of note.
Learning tasks
- Introduce how to represent data using a glyph.
- A student completes a survey that asks questions either about the child or about the topic being covered. For example, the glyph can be a line drawing of a ladybug. The survey might be about their favourite things. After the student completes the survey, the student uses a legend that guides the way they visually display their results.
- Your favourite food is represented as body colour (red = sandwich, blue = sushi, green = pasta, purple = rice)
- Your favourite pet is represented by the spots (dog = brown, cat = black, rabbit = yellow)
- The glyphs displayed together can be used to show the range of responses and look for patterns in the data.
- Integrate English (reading) through rebus stories. Create and share rebus stories. Sounds could also be incorporated as students explore different ways to represent data.
- Integrate The Arts: Music by representing musical notes in different ways. An interesting approach is to represent notes and beat using Lego blocks or similar. Colours can be used to represent particular notes. The block size can represent the time signature and length of note. For example, use four square blocks to represent 4/4 timing. Two rectangle blocks can represent 2/4 timing.
Supporting Resources
'Rhythm Clock Game for Classroom Elementary or Primary Music Lessons'
Use this video as a fun game to learn how to represent notes and read them to clap a rhythm.
Glyphs
Here are a couple of ideas about how to use Glyphs. Glyphs are a fun and colourful way for students to collect, explore and sort data about themselves and their classmates using a range of themes.
Lesson Ideas
Exploring patterns and data with bread tags and plastic lids
In Digital Technologies, manipulatives/ concrete materials/ loose parts such as bread tags and lids can be used to learn more about data.
Data collection and representation: What’s in your lunchbox?
The type of fruits and vegetables in school lunchboxes or those eaten at crunch and sip or fruit break time can provide a good source of data for a classroom investigation.
Assessment
Suggested approaches may include
- relevant representations of data.
Activity Presenting data
What are some ways I can present data?
Australian Curriculum Alignment
What's this about?
Data can be graphed visually and presented as a chart, for example, a column graph.
When counting up physical items these can be sorted and organised into columns and presented as a column graph.
Learning tasks
- Packets of coloured lollies or other confectionary provide an opportunity to compare the amount of each type in a particular packet. For example, students could answer the question: 'What colour smarties is there most of in a packet?'
- On a grid, students can create a column graph using the actual lollies. You can also show students how to arrange the lollies to make the circumference of a circle making a simple pie graph, showing the segments. If using the same product students can compare data to see patterns and differences. Students can create the graph digitally.
- Collect data about a relevant topic to help answer a question of interest. for example, country of birth, month of birth, favourite food, favourite pet. Present the data as a glyph or as a column graph. The data can also be simply arranged in a circle and shaded sections can show the data as a segment of the circle. Discuss the usefulness of each approach.
- As part of a health foods focus, explore a range of meals and present data related to the ingredients of each. Discuss the types of headings that would be needed. Consider recording the data in a table and then selecting the most appropriate way to present the data digitally.
Lesson Ideas
Assessment
Suggested approaches may include
- charts and discussion about their usefulness.