Recording Data
Gather and record data using simple methods such as tables, tally charts, and drawings to help answer questions
What a learner can do afterwards
- Record observations and measurements in a simple table or tally chart
- Use drawings or labelled diagrams to record what was observed
- Explain how the recorded data helps answer the original question
1 · Read
Data means information you collect. Record it while you observe or test, so you can look back later. Write one tally line for each thing you count. Count the lines to find the total. In a bar chart, find a name and read the number above its bar.
Priya tries each of two paper planes six times. She adds one tally line each time a plane passes a mark. Count each plane's lines, then compare the totals. A has 4 lines and B has 6. B has the larger total, so it passed the mark more often. The tallies count passes, not flight distance.
To record a shape, look at its edge and draw its outline. Add words for details you observed, such as colour. A drawing can show a leaf's shape. A colour word records its colour. If your drawing leaves out the colour, add the colour word.
A table has rows and columns. Keep each name and its count in the same row.
| Thing | Count | Day |
|---|---|---|
| Stones | 2 | Monday |
| Leaves | 4 | Monday |
Other records work too. You can use labelled sheets or notebook pages. Keep names with counts so you know what each number records.
Use your record to answer your question. For 'Which colour did I see most?', find the largest count. Here, yellow has the largest count, 4. Writing counts down lets you check them later. Use only what your record tells you.
Write it, tally it, or draw it. Then use it to answer your question.
Original lesson, questions and flashcards written for this learning dataset.
Two original readings written for this learning dataset about labelled observations and recording bird visits.
More to read
Keep details with your drawing
Ask an adult to choose a safe plant to observe. Draw the shape of a leaf. Add the lines or spots you can see. Write its colour beside the drawing.
If you draw it again another day, put the day beside each drawing. Then you can tell which record came first.
A drawing records what you noticed. It does not give an exact height unless you add a measurement. Ask an adult to help you measure if height is part of your question. Write the number and its unit with the plant's name.
Keep the labels with the drawing so another person can understand your record.
Count visits, not different birds
Your question is: how many bird visits do I see at the tree in ten minutes? Watch from a safe place with an adult. The adult can keep track of the time.
Make one tally line each time a bird arrives. If a bird leaves and comes back, count another visit. You are counting visits, not different birds.
When the time ends, count the tally lines. Write the total beside 'Bird visits'. Add the date and how long you watched.
Your record answers the question about that watching time. It does not tell you how many visits happened all day.
2 · Watch
En anglaisTake it off screen
Where it sits
Learn first
Nothing; this is a starting point.
Optional connections
Where this leads
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.