Tables, graphs and charts
Data
Definition
Data is a general term for a set of observations and measurements collected during any type of systematic investigation.
Primary data is data collected by the user. Secondary data is data collected by others. Sources of secondary data include web-based data sets, the media, books and scientific papers. (NSW Mathematics K-10 syllabus)
Tables, graphs and charts are ways of displaying and representing data.
Teaching and learning activities
The two sets of resources below provide targeted teaching strategies to support student improvement in this skill.
Each downloadable lesson activity includes:
learning intentions
a list of required resources
a step-by-step lesson sequence
printable classroom materials
Select the download all icon to download all available activities or select each activity separately.
PLAN2 Areas of focus
An Areas of focus template has been created in PLAN2 to support targeted teaching of Text structure in your learning area.
Search for the DoE template titled ‘DoE HSCMinStd Writing: Text structure’ in the Areas of focus template library tab within the Plan menu, and customise it for your students’ needs.
For more information about using PLAN2 Areas of focus templates with this resource, visit the Using this resource with PLAN2 page.
Enhanced teaching and learning activities for EAL/D learners
Relevance to the numeracy test marking
The feedback for a Level 3 performance in the HSC minimum standard online numeracy test states:
Individuals performing at this level typically “select appropriate strategies from a variety of everyday mathematical processes in familiar and some less familiar contexts. They interpret and comprehend mathematical information in written material, diagrams, charts and tables.”
Students are able to represent, interpret, recognise, identify and compare information and data.
Connections with ACSF Level 3 descriptors
The relevant Level 3 ACSF descriptors for numeracy are shown here to demonstrate how identifying, comparing and interpreting data and information are assessed in the HSC minimum standard online test. The performance features identified show what a student is able to do in order to achieve at this level and are provided to support teachers to understand what is required to achieve a Level 3 in this skill.
Numeracy Indicator 3.09: Selects and interprets mathematical information that may be partly embedded in a range of familiar, and some less familiar, tasks and texts
Focus area: Complexity of mathematical information
Level 3 performance features:
interprets and comprehends familiar and routine data, tables, graphs and charts
Numeracy Indicator 3.10: Selects from and uses a variety of developing mathematical and problem solving strategies in a range of familiar and some less familiar contexts
Focus area: Mathematical knowledge and skills: statistics and probability
Level 3 performance features:
collects and organises familiar data and constructs tables, graphs and charts, manually or with spreadsheets, using simple and familiar or routine scales and axes
Numeracy Indicator 3.11: Uses a combination of both informal and formal oral and written mathematical language and representation to communicate mathematically
Focus area: Oral mathematical language
Level 3 performance features:
uses a combination of both informal and formal oral mathematical and general language to present and discuss the mathematical and problem solving process and result
Focus area: Complexity of mathematical symbolism, representation and conventions
Level 3 performance features:
uses a combination of both formal and informal symbolism, diagrams, graphs and conventions relevant to the mathematical knowledge of the level
Connections with Numeracy Learning Progression:
The progressions describe a typical developmental sequence of literacy and numeracy learning. The numeracy progression sub-elements, levels and indicators relevant to interpreting and representing data are provided here to assist teachers to identify students’ capabilities and needs to support targeted teaching.
Element: Statistics and probability
Sub-element: Interpreting and representing data (IRD)
IRD2 — Basic one-to-one data displays
poses questions that could be investigated from a simple numerical or categorical data set (e.g. number of family members, types of pets, where people live)
displays and describes one variable data in lists or tables
communicates information through text, pictures-graphs and tables using numbers and symbols (e.g. creates picture graphs to display one-variable data)
responds to questions and interprets general observations made about data represented in simple one-to-one data displays (e.g. responds to questions about the information represented in a simple picture graph that uses a one-to-one representation)
IRD3 — Collecting, displaying and interpreting categorical data
collects, records and displays one variable data in variety of way such as tables, charts, plots and graphs using the appropriate technology (e.g. uses a spread sheet to record data collected in a simple survey and generates a column graph to display the results)
displays and interprets categorical data in one-to-many data displays
interprets categorical data in simple graphical displays such as bar and column graphs, pie charts and makes simple inferences
makes comparisons from categorical data displays using relative heights from a common baseline (e.g. compares the heights of the columns in a simple column graph to determine the tallest and recognises this as the most frequent response)
IRD4 — Collecting, displaying and interpreting numerical data
collects and records discrete numerical data using an appropriate method for recording (e.g. uses a frequency chart to record the experimental results for rolling a dice)
IRD5 — Collecting, displaying continuous data
poses questions based on variations in continuous numerical data and chooses the appropriate method to record results (e.g. collects information on the heights of buildings or daily temperatures, tabulates the results and represents these graphically)
uses numerical and graphical representations relevant to the purpose of the collection of the data and explains their reasoning (e.g. ‘I can’t use a frequency histogram for categorical data because there is no numerical connection between the categories’; converts their data to percentages in order to compare the girls results to that of the boys, as the total number of boys and girls who participated in the survey was different)
IRD6 — Interpreting graphical representation
summarises data using fractions, percentages and decimals (e.g. ⅔ of a class live in the same suburb)
explains that continuous variables depicting growth or change often vary over time (e.g. growth charts, temperature charts)
interprets graphs depicting motion such as distance–time graphs