Minds On

Examining data

A student surveyed the grade three, grade four, and grade five students at their school about their favourite type of movie.

The following table represents their survey results:

Favourite Type of Movie Survey
Genre Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5
Mystery 32 43 51
Comedy 35 20 38
Science Fiction 17 8 5
  • What are three things that you learned from this data?
  • What is an interesting fact about this data?
  • What is a question that you have about this data?

Throughout this learning activity, you can record your thoughts digitally, orally, or in print.

Action

The power of graphs

We are now going to explore how a graph can help you analyze data.

Graphs are diagrams that represent data with lines, shapes, and colours. We can use graphs to help us draw conclusions and to review data more carefully.

Using the tool of your choice, answer the following questions:

  • Why do we need to study and make sense of data?
  • How are graphs useful?
  • What parts do graphs need to be useful?
  • What do we need to consider when we select a type of graph?
  • How could the types of graphs we use change how we understand data?

Multiple bar graph analysis

Let’s explore how to analyze the data in a graph and how to understand what the data shows us.

Review the following multiple bar graph:

Using the tool of your choice, answer the following questions:

  • What are 2 conclusions about the two horses that you can draw from the data?
  • How many apples did the horses eat on Thursday?
  • Which horse eats more? How do you know?
  • Is there a day that the horses eat more? Why might this be?

Press ‘Examples’ to reveal sample responses.

Sample responses:
  • Both of the horses eat more on Monday and Tuesday than any other day of the week. I wonder if it’s because they exercise more that day. Or maybe it’s because there are more visitors those days that feed them apples.
  • I noticed that Horse A always eats fewer apples than Horse B, except on Tuesdays. I wonder if someone comes on Tuesdays that gives Horse A extra apples.
  • On Thursday, the horses eat 3 apples total.
  • Horse B eats more apples. I can see that their bars are always bigger but I also know because I added up the daily totals.
  • The horses eat more on Tuesday.

Stem-and-leaf plot analysis

The following set of data represents the number of hours that students practiced their instrument during the last month:

17, 22, 46, 34, 52, 19, 21, 13, 15, 20, 21, 21, 30, 40, 45, 89

Review the following stem-and-leaf plot representing the same data set:

Hours of Practice
Stem Leaves
0
1 3, 5, 7, 9
2 0, 1, 1, 1, 2
3 0, 4
4 0, 5, 6
5 2
6
7
8 9

Two different students analyzed the previous data, these are their conclusions:

Student A says that most students practiced their instruments between 10 and 90 hours.

Student B says that most students practiced their instrument between 10 and 50 hours.

Using the tool of your choice, answer the following questions

  • Which conclusion do you agree with? Use the data to explain your thinking.

Consolidation

Interpreting data by creating graphs

The following table represents the amount of outdoor clothing purchased at a fair by people who hike, bike, and kayak:

Outdoor Clothing Purchases Survey
Outdoor clothing Hikers Bikers Kayakers
Hoodie 7 22 15
T-shirt 22 27 32
Hat 10 15 8
Sweatpants 11 30 24

Using the tool of your choice, record a conclusion statement about the data in the table. Explain your thinking.

Now create a graph representing the data from the previous table using the tool of your choice.

Record a conclusion statement supported by the data in your graph.

Using the tool of your choice, answer the following questions:

  • How were your conclusion statements for the table and graph similar and how were they different?
  • Were you able to make more conclusions once you created a graph?
  • How does displaying data in a graph help you to analyze it?
  • What type of graph do you find the easiest to read and analyze?

Reflection

As you read through these descriptions, which sentence best describes how you are feeling about your understanding of this learning activity? Press the button that is beside this sentence.

I feel…

Now, record your ideas using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.

Press ‘Discover More’ to extend your skills.

Comparing and contrasting data displays

A group of students collected data on the number of people that visited an art gallery each day. The following data set represents the number of visitors over 16 days:

17, 22, 46, 34, 52, 19, 21, 13, 15, 20, 21, 21, 30, 40, 45, 89

Review the following bar graph and stem-and-leaf plot representing the previous data set:

Gallery visitors bar graph

Gallery visitors stem-and-leaf plot

Number of Gallery Visitors
Stem Leaves
0
1 3, 5, 7, 9
2 0, 1, 1, 1, 2
3 0, 4
4 0, 5, 6
5 2
6
7
8 9

Compare and contrast these two data displays by completing the Comparing Data Displays Venn Diagram in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document.

Press the ‘Activity’ button to access Comparing Data Displays Venn Diagram.

Activity(Open PDF in a new window)

Using the tool of your choice, reflect on your comparison by answering the following questions:

  • Which graph makes it easier to analyze the data?
  • What is the advantage of using a stem-and-leaf plot to analyze data?