What can data tell us?
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.cfm?DocID=107
A lesson plan for Grades 3–5 Mathematics
The purpose of this lesson is to look at questions that can be posed and answered by examining data distribution and to look for circumstances that might bias the results of a study. Students analyze data collected by themselves and their classmates. Science NetLinks provides student handouts, links to helpful web resources, and detailed instructions for completing the lesson.
North Carolina Curriculum Alignment
Mathematics (2004)
Grade 3
- Goal 4: Data Analysis and Probability - The learner will understand and use data and simple probability concepts.
- Objective 4.01: Collect, organize, analyze, and display data (including circle graphs and tables) to solve problems.
- Objective 4.02: Determine the number of permutations and combinations of up to three items.
- Objective 4.03: Solve probability problems using permutations and combinations.
Grade 4
- Goal 4: Data Analysis and Probability - The learner will understand and use graphs, probability, and data analysis.
- Objective 4.01: Collect, organize, analyze, and display data (including line graphs and bar graphs) to solve problems.
- Objective 4.02: Describe the distribution of data using median, range and mode.
- Objective 4.03: Solve problems by comparing two sets of related data.
- Objective 4.04: Design experiments and list all possible outcomes and probabilities for an event.
Grade 5
- Goal 4: Data Analysis and Probability - The learner will understand and use graphs and data analysis.
- Objective 4.01: Collect, organize, analyze, and display data (including stem-and-leaf plots) to solve problems.
- Objective 4.02: Compare and contrast different representations of the same data; discuss the effectiveness of each representation.
- Objective 4.03: Solve problems with data from a single set or multiple sets of data using median, range, and mode.



