Handling Data: African Animal Maths – Teachers’ Notes
Who is it for?
7-11 year olds
How long will it take? This activity is ideal as a one hour session.
Learning outcomes:
Students will explore measurement data for a range of species found in
the African savannah. Students will identify the data necessary to fill in a
table, and will then use the data in this table to construct and interpret
bar charts for a range of different measurements (height, length, weight).
What do you need?


African Animal Maths worksheet (one per student)
Computers (Optional)
Summary:
This activity is designed to introduce 7-11 year olds to handling data, using some of the species
that inhabit the African savannah as a basis for their exploration.
Students will identify the relevant data from a summary factsheet and will use this information to
fill in a table. Students will be taught to interpret the data in the table and use it to construct bar
charts representing the heights and lengths of different African species, and will interpret the
charts they have drawn to solve problems and answer questions.
Students will interpret a graph that has been drawn for them representing the weights of different
African species, and will draw on their prior knowledge of data handling and data interpretation in
order to pose their own questions for interpreting the graph within the context of the problem.
Preparation guidelines:
1. Read through the instructions to make sure you understand the activity.
2. Print off the African Animal Maths worksheets. You will need one worksheet per student.
How to run the session:
a. Introduce the task by asking students what they know about the African
savannah and the species that live there.
b. Use ARKive to briefly discuss with the students the different animals that live in
the African savannah, e.g. African elephant, lion, leopard, rhinoceros, wildebeest,
buffalo, zebra, giraffe.
2. Hand out the African Animal Maths worksheet.
3. Using the measurements provided in the factsheet, students should fill in the table on the
worksheet, converting metres to centimetres where appropriate. Students should then be
encouraged to work through the activity sheet, interpreting the data in the table in order to
construct bar charts for the heights and lengths of some of the animals found in the
African savannah. Students must decide which measurement (metres or centimetres)
would be most suitable when labelling the graph.
Once students have drawn their bar charts, they should interpret the data represented by
the graphs to answer the questions on the worksheet.
For the final question, students must look at the graph representing the average weight of
males of different species, and should be encouraged to apply their knowledge of
handling and interpreting data in order to pose their own questions for interpreting the
graph. Examples include: Which animal is the heaviest? Which animal is the lightest?
How heavy is the giraffe? Which species is heavier, the white rhino or the hippopotamus?
Etc.
Optional activity:

Download the ‘African Animal Maths - Measurement Data’ spreadsheet in Excel. Instead
of getting students to draw their bar charts by hand, use the chart wizard in Excel to
create bar charts on the computer.
Extension activities:

For older or higher ability students, it may be possible to compare the three graphs for
height, length and weight of different African animals. Can students think of any
questions that can only be answered by looking at more than one graph? For example, is
the tallest animal also the longest? Is the shortest animal also the lightest?
Further extension activities using ARKive:

Students carry out a piece of investigative work to find out which endangered species is
the most popular in their class or school. Students compile a shortlist of their favourite
endangered species, using ARKive to find out whether or not the species is considered to
be endangered. Students could also use images from ARKive to support their shortlist.
Students must then pose questions, plan and develop lines of enquiry that will allow them
to explore which endangered species is the most popular, and must discuss together how
to collect, collate and represent the data.