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Year 4 Block C - Handling data and measures Unit 3

Objectives

Children's learning outcomes are emphasised 		Assessment for learning
  • Suggest a line of enquiry and the strategy needed to follow it; collect, organise and interpret selected information to find answers

    I can think about an investigation, predict what might happen and decide how I could go about finding information, perhaps by doing a survey or taking measurements

What are you trying to find out? What information are you aiming to collect? How?

Why have you chosen to collect that information? What will it tell you?

Imagine that the class is going to organise a tea party for parents. What information would you need to find out? What are the simplest ways that you can find the information?

  • Answer a question by identifying what data to collect; organise, present, analyse and interpret the data in tables, diagrams, tally charts, pictograms and bar charts, using ICT where appropriate

    I can collect data in different ways and decide whether to put it in a table, diagram, tally chart, pictogram or bar chart so that it is easy to understand

What information will you need to collect to answer your question? How will you collect it?

Why do you think it is a good idea to tally in fives?

How will you display your data?

What does this graph tell you? Why did you choose this type of graph? What makes the information easy or difficult to interpret?

Make up two questions that can be answered using the information in your graph or table or chart.

What were the advantages of using a computer?

  • Report solutions to puzzles and problems, giving explanations and reasoning orally and in writing, using diagrams and symbols

    I can tell people what I have found out and show some graphs to back up my conclusions

What have you found out?

What graphs, charts or tables will you use to show your results?

Are your results what you expected or were there any surprises?

What evidence do you have to support your conclusions?

What other questions could you ask now that you have finished your enquiry? Would you use a computer to help you? Why or why not?

What would you do differently if you carried out the enquiry again?

  • Choose and use standard metric units and their abbreviations when estimating, measuring and recording length, weight and capacity; know the meaning of 'kilo', 'centi' and 'milli' and, where appropriate, use decimal notation to record measurements (e.g. 1.3 m or 0.6 kg)

    I can estimate the length of a line in centimetres and millimetres and then measure the line to see how close my estimate was

Estimate the capacity of this washing-up bowl. And of this bottle.

Choose the correct answer. A drinking glass holds about...

0.2 litres          2 litres          20 litres          200 litres

What unit would you use to measure the capacity of a watering can? Of an oil tank? Of a coffee cup?

Can you tell me another way to say or write 6 litres? What about 750 millilitres?

Look at these cards. They have weights in grams or kilograms.

5 kg, 500 g, one quarter kg, 1.5 kg, 750 g

Put the cards in order from the lightest to the heaviest. How did you order the cards? Why did you put this measurement here?

  • Interpret intervals and divisions on partially numbered scales and record readings accurately, where appropriate to the nearest tenth of a unit

    I can use different kinds of rulers and measuring tapes to measure lengths accurately

Here are some children's long jump results. Sue jumped 212 cm.

Draw Sue's long jump result on the graph.

Bar chart with names along the left and cm across the bottom, Sue's results are missing

Use the graph to estimate how much further Sam jumped than Jan.

Harry, Eve and Khalid measured the same objects. Here are Harry's measurements.

pencil length 16 cm
computer screen width 33 cm
door width 77 cm
cube length 1.9 cm
ruler width   3.8 cm
room length 830 cm

Eve wrote her measurements in millimetres. What did she write?

Khalid wrote his measurements in metres. What did he write?

What would you use? Would you use different units for different measurements? Why or why not?

  • Compare the impact of representations where scales have intervals of differing step size

    I can compare graphs with different scales and decide which is the most useful

How did you decide on the scale for this axis?

Which scale helps you to interpret and draw conclusions most easily? Why?

  • Use time, resources and group members efficiently by distributing tasks, checking progress, and making back-up plans

    I can contribute to a task in my group so that we are all being helpful as we collect data

    I can help the group to decide what we have found out

What conclusions have you drawn?

What evidence have you got to back up your conclusions?

Are your conclusions what you expected?

Learning overview

Children undertake one or more of three enquiries:

  • What vehicles are very likely to pass the school gate between 10:00 am and 11:00 am? Why? What vehicles would definitely not pass by? Why not? What vehicles would be possible but not very likely? Why? What if it were a different time of day? What if the weather were different?
  • Does practice improve estimation skills? Children estimate the lengths of five given lines and record the estimate, measured length and difference. They repeat the activity with five more lines to see whether their estimation skills have improved after feedback.
  • What would children in our class most like to change in the school? Children carry out a survey after preliminary research to whittle down the number of options to a sensible number, e.g. no more than five.

Children identify a hypothesis and decide what data to collect to investigate their hypothesis. They collect the data they need and decide on a suitable representation. In groups, they consider different possibilities for their representation and explain why they have made their choice.

In the first enquiry, children use tallies and bar charts. In the second, they use tables and bar charts to compare the two sets of measurements. In the third, they use a range of tables and charts to show their results, including Venn and Carroll diagrams. They use ICT where appropriate.

Children explore the effect of changing the step size on the scale of graphical representations, considering step sizes of 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 as appropriate. For example, these graphs were produced by the ITP 'Data handling'. The bar charts show the number of gold medals in the 2000 Olympics, first with the vertical axis numbered in 20s from 0 to 100 and then with the vertical axis numbered in 10s from 0 to 40.

Screen shot from ITP 'Data handling' showing generated graphs

Children consider how the differences appear to be greater on the bar chart with the scale numbered in 10s than on the bar chart with the scale numbered in 20s.

In groups, children interpret their data and draw conclusions. They decide on the statements of findings which have good evidence to support them. They discuss what further questions they could go on to ask.

Resource links to existing published material

Mathematical challenges for able pupils Key Stages 1 and 2

Activities

 

None currently available

Intervention programmes

Springboard unit

None currently available

Supporting children with gaps in their mathematical understanding (Wave 3)

Diagnostic focus

Resource

None currently available

 

Click here for information on different file formats and their usage.

Wave 3 addition and subtraction tracking children's learning charts

PDF 161KB RTF 930KB Word 315KB

Wave 3 multiplication and division tracking children's learning charts

PDF 195KB RTF 1.3MB Word 430KB

Wave 3 Resource sheets and index of games booklet

PDF 500KB
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