Data and Graphs: Recording What We Learn
Learn
When scientists do investigations, they collect data. Data is information we gather by observing and measuring. Then we organize our data to help us understand it better!
What Is Data?
Data is facts and information we collect. When you measure how tall your plant grows each day, that is data!
Examples of data about plants:
- How many leaves a plant has
- How tall the plant is (in inches)
- What color the leaves are
- How many days until a seed sprouts
Organizing Data in Tables
A table helps us organize our data in rows and columns so it is easy to read.
Here is a table showing how much a plant grew:
| Day | Height (inches) |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | 0 |
| Day 3 | 1 |
| Day 5 | 2 |
| Day 7 | 4 |
What Is a Graph?
A graph is a picture that shows data. Graphs help us SEE patterns and compare things easily.
Types of Graphs
Picture Graph: Uses pictures or symbols to show data. Each picture stands for one thing (or more).
Bar Graph: Uses bars of different heights to show amounts. Taller bars mean bigger numbers.
Reading a Picture Graph
Look at this picture graph showing leaves on different plants:
Leaves on Our Plants
Plant A: [leaf][leaf][leaf][leaf][leaf] = 5 leaves
Plant B: [leaf][leaf][leaf] = 3 leaves
Plant C: [leaf][leaf] = 2 leaves
Key: Each [leaf] = 1 leaf
We can quickly see that Plant A has the MOST leaves!
Reading a Bar Graph
Bar graphs use bars instead of pictures. The taller the bar, the bigger the number!
Plant Height After 2 Weeks
Plant A: |||||||||| (10 inches)
Plant B: |||| (4 inches)
Plant C: || (2 inches)
Plant A grew the tallest because its bar is the longest!
Examples
Example 1: Making a Data Table
Mia counted how many pets need water every day. She made this table:
| Animal | Cups of Water Per Day |
|---|---|
| Dog | 4 |
| Cat | 2 |
| Fish | Lives in water! |
| Hamster | 1 |
Question: Which pet drinks the most water?
Answer: The dog drinks 4 cups, which is the most!
Example 2: Reading a Picture Graph
First graders counted birds they saw in one week:
Birds We Saw
Monday: [bird][bird][bird] = 3 birds
Tuesday: [bird][bird][bird][bird][bird] = 5 birds
Wednesday: [bird][bird] = 2 birds
Thursday: [bird][bird][bird][bird] = 4 birds
Friday: [bird][bird][bird][bird][bird][bird] = 6 birds
Questions:
- On which day did they see the most birds? Friday (6 birds)
- On which day did they see the fewest birds? Wednesday (2 birds)
- How many more birds did they see on Friday than Monday? 6 - 3 = 3 more birds
Example 3: Comparing Data
Two plants were grown with different amounts of light:
| Week | Plant with Lots of Sun (inches) | Plant with Little Sun (inches) |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Week 2 | 5 | 2 |
| Week 3 | 8 | 3 |
What does this data tell us?
The plant with lots of sun grew much faster! By Week 3, it was 8 inches tall, but the plant with little sun was only 3 inches tall. This shows that plants need sunlight to grow well.
Practice
Use the data and graphs to answer these questions.
1. What is data?
A) A type of plant
B) Information we collect by observing and measuring
C) A game we play
D) A kind of animal
2. Why do scientists make graphs?
A) Because they are pretty
B) To help see patterns and compare things easily
C) Because their teacher said to
D) To hide information
Use this table for questions 3-4:
| Plant | Number of Leaves |
|---|---|
| Sunflower | 8 |
| Bean Plant | 6 |
| Tomato | 10 |
3. Which plant has the MOST leaves?
A) Sunflower
B) Bean Plant
C) Tomato
D) They all have the same
4. How many more leaves does the tomato have than the bean plant?
A) 2
B) 4
C) 6
D) 10
Use this picture graph for questions 5-6:
Flowers in Our Garden
Red flowers: [*][*][*][*] = 4
Yellow flowers: [*][*][*][*][*][*] = 6
Pink flowers: [*][*][*] = 3
5. How many yellow flowers are in the garden?
A) 3
B) 4
C) 6
D) 13
6. How many flowers are there in all?
A) 6
B) 10
C) 13
D) 15
7. Leo measured his plant every week. It was 2 inches in Week 1, 4 inches in Week 2, and 6 inches in Week 3. What pattern do you see?
A) The plant is getting shorter
B) The plant grows 2 inches each week
C) The plant stays the same size
D) The plant is dying
8. Which is the BEST title for a table about how much water different animals drink?
A) My Favorite Animals
B) Water Animals Need Each Day
C) Animals Are Fun
D) Animals in the Zoo
9. On a bar graph, a taller bar means:
A) A smaller number
B) A bigger number
C) Nothing special
D) The data is wrong
10. Ava is tracking how many seeds sprouted each day. What should she do FIRST?
A) Make a graph
B) Count the seeds and write down the data
C) Tell her friends
D) Throw away the seeds
11. Look at this data: Monday - 3 worms, Tuesday - 5 worms, Wednesday - 2 worms. On which day were the MOST worms found?
A) Monday
B) Tuesday
C) Wednesday
D) They found the same number each day
12. Why is it helpful to organize data in a table?
A) It makes the data hard to read
B) It hides the information
C) It makes it easy to find and compare information
D) It is not helpful
Check Your Understanding
Think about these questions. Discuss with a partner or write your answers.
1. What is the difference between a table and a graph?
2. If you wanted to show how many different types of animals live in a pond, would you use a picture graph or a data table? Why?
3. You measured your plant for 5 days. Describe how you would organize this data.
Next Steps
- Create your own data table about something you observe at home
- Practice making a picture graph with stickers or drawings
- Continue to the next lesson to learn how to write about what you learned like a scientist