Year 4 Teaching Sequence autumn D1 – Data handling (two days)
Prerequisites:
 Answer a question by collecting, organising, interpreting data: use tally charts, frequency tables and bar charts to
represent results and illustrate observations (see Year 3 teaching sequence D6)
 Count on in 2s, 5s, 10s and 20s (see oral and mental starter bank D1)
 Locate three-digit numbers on landmarked lines (see autumn teaching sequence 1 and oral and mental starter bank D1)
Overview of progression:
Children compare two graphs showing the same information but with different scales. They draw a bar chart of the results
from standing long jump in teaching sequence M1, creating a need to use one step to represent a unit of greater than one to fit
the graph on a page. They collect data about the frequency of each vowel in text, and decide what scale to use on a bar chart.
Note that different scales are often used by groups trying to persuade an audience of a particular view, and so it is a useful
life skill to be able to interpret graphs and see through this form of misrepresentation!
Watch out for children who write numbers in the boxes (as if for a block graph) rather than across the lines on the vertical
axis. This will cause difficulties when drawing bars with the axis labelled in twos, fives or ten as the children won't know where
a bar of 11 for example will come up to.
© Original teaching sequence copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual users.
Y4 Maths TS_D1 – Aut – 2days
Objective:
 Answer a question by identifying what data to collect
 Organise, present, analyse and interpret data in tables, diagrams, tally charts, using ICT as appropriate
 Organise, present, analyse and interpret data in pictograms and bar charts, using ICT as appropriate
 Use Venn diagrams or Carroll diagrams to sort data and objects using more than one criterion
Whole class
Group activities
Paired/indiv practice
Resources
Show the two graphs of number of polar bears (see
resources) and ask children to discuss them. The two
graphs show the same information, but they look very
different, why? Draw out the different scales on the
vertical axis. Why might someone want to show a big
difference in the number of polar bears? And the
opposite? Discuss how the polar bear population may
shrink because of the shrinking of the polar ice, due to
global warming. Someone wanting to show the impact on
polar bears might want to show the graph that makes
this look more obvious. Someone who doesn’t want
people to believe in global warming might choose the
scale that makes the difference look insignificant.
Show the data collected from the standing jumps
collected during teaching sequence M1. Choose five
children’s results from different groups. We’re going to
draw a bar chart to show these results, but the bars
would be pretty long if used one step to represent one
centimetre! What could we do instead? Take children’s
suggestions, and preferably show each if your computer
package will let you choose different scales. If not,
together draw bar chart where one step represent
10cm, explaining that this will fit on the paper (using no
more than 25 squares), and drawing bars up to amounts
between multiples of ten is quite easy.
Either way, you will need to demonstrate how to draw
Group of 4-5 children
Show data about the polar bars (table,
pictogram, bar chart, see resources).
Which way shows the information in the
clearest way?
Ask the school secretary for dinners
information from at least two classes
(number each of school dinners, packed
lunches and home dinners). Discuss how
best to present this information,
frequency table, pictogram or bar
chart. If you choose pictogram or bar
chart, discuss what number of children
each step/symbol might represent.
Easier: Use information from one class.
Harder: Use information from four
classes, perhaps a whole key stage.
Give each group the set of
standing jump distances for
their group. They draw a bar
chart to show the results,
one step representing 10cm.
Ask children to work in pairs
to come up with two
questions about the graph.
They pose thee to the rest
of the group to answer.
Easier: Prepare a blank bar
chart on cm2 paper.
 Polar bear
graphs (see
resources)
 Polar bear data
shown in
different ways
(see resources)
 Data collected
during teaching
sequence M1
 Data handling
software
 cm2 paper
© Original teaching sequence copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual users.
Y4 Maths TS_D1 – Aut – 2days
the bar chart on square paper.
If you have used a computer package to draw the
graphs, discuss how quickly it is able to show different
graphs once the data is entered. You could also use it to
show a horizontal bar chart and discuss whether
children prefer a vertical or horizontal bar chart for
this particular set of data, and why. Would they feel
differently if the data was high jump results?
Display a piece of text (perhaps one you have been using
in literacy lessons) with at least 100 words.
Which vowel do you think is most common in this piece
of text? And the least common? Ask a fifth of the class
to count the number of ‘a’s, a fifth to count the number
of ‘e’s, a fifth to count the number of ‘i’s, a fifth to
count the number of ‘o’s and a fifth to count the number
of ‘u’s. Suggest that they keep a tally to help keep
track. (Alternatively you could give a copy to each child,
and they tick off each vowel as they count them.)
How could we show our results? Together construct a
frequency table and then discuss what interval might be
best for a bar chart. How many squares can we use on
the vertical axis, leaving room for the label for the
horizontal axis?
Construct this, with help from the children.
What was the most common vowel? And the least? Do
you think this will usually be the case?
Group of 4-5 children
Draw Venn diagram as below:
Names
containing a
Names
containing i
Ask each child where their name will go
on the diagram. Explain that names
containing neither a or i, go outside of
the two sets, but inside the box.
Ask children to think of other names to
go in each of the four possible places on
the diagram.
Harder: Draw three interlocking sets
for three vowels.
© Original teaching sequence copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual users.
Give each pair a page from a
book (perhaps one from your
group reading sessions) and
ask them to draw up a
frequency table showing the
frequency of each vowel.
They then draw up a bar
chart, choosing whether to
use one step to represent 2,
5 or 10 letters.
They write answers to the
following questions:
Was the same vowel the
most common as in the whole
class teaching? And the
least common? What was the
difference between the
least common and most
common vowels?
Easier: Choose a shorter
piece of text.
Harder: Choose a longer
piece of text. They choose
an interval size of 2, 5, 10 or
20 letters.
 Texts (perhaps
from group
reading)
Y4 Maths TS_D1 – Aut – 2days