Data and Graphs
Learn
When scientists do investigations, they collect data. Data is information that you gather by watching, counting, or measuring. Then scientists make graphs to show their data in a picture!
What Is Data?
Data is what you find out during an investigation. You can collect data by:
- Counting - How many birds did you see?
- Measuring - How tall is the plant?
- Observing - What color is the butterfly?
- Recording - Write down or draw what you see
Ways to Record Data
Scientists write down their data so they do not forget. Here are some ways:
- Tally marks - Make a mark for each thing you count (IIII = 4)
- Pictures - Draw what you see
- Numbers - Write the number you counted
- Words - Describe what happened
What Is a Graph?
A graph is a picture that shows data. Graphs help us see information quickly. Two easy graphs are:
- Picture graph - Uses pictures to show how many
- Bar graph - Uses bars to show how many
Why Are Graphs Helpful?
Graphs help us:
- See which group has more or less
- Compare different things
- Share what we learned with others
- Remember our data
Examples
Example 1: Counting Seeds
Maya counted seeds in different fruits.
| Fruit | Tally | Number |
|---|---|---|
| Apple | IIII I | 6 |
| Orange | IIII IIII | 10 |
| Watermelon | IIII IIII IIII IIII | 20 |
What the data shows: The watermelon had the most seeds. The apple had the fewest seeds.
Example 2: Favorite Colors Picture Graph
The class voted on their favorite colors.
Red: * * * * * (5 students)
Blue: * * * * * * * (7 students)
Green: * * * (3 students)
Yellow: * * * * (4 students)
What the graph shows: Blue was the most popular color. Green was the least popular color.
Example 3: Plant Growth Bar Graph
Sam measured his plant each week.
Week 1: == (2 inches)
Week 2: ==== (4 inches)
Week 3: ======= (7 inches)
Week 4: ========== (10 inches)
What the graph shows: The plant grew taller each week. It grew from 2 inches to 10 inches!
Practice
Answer these questions about data and graphs.
1. What is data?
A) A type of food
B) Information you collect
C) A color
D) A toy
2. What does this tally mark mean? IIII II
A) 4
B) 5
C) 7
D) 9
3. Why do scientists make graphs?
A) To make things confusing
B) To show data in a picture
C) To hide information
D) To waste paper
4. Look at Maya's seed data. Which fruit had the MOST seeds?
A) Apple
B) Orange
C) Watermelon
D) They all had the same
5. In the favorite colors graph, how many students picked blue?
A) 3
B) 5
C) 7
D) 10
6. What is one way to record data?
A) Forget everything
B) Make tally marks
C) Run in circles
D) Close your eyes
7. Look at Sam's plant graph. How tall was the plant in Week 3?
A) 2 inches
B) 4 inches
C) 7 inches
D) 10 inches
8. Which color was LEAST popular in the class vote?
A) Red
B) Blue
C) Green
D) Yellow
9. Jake counted 8 red apples and 5 green apples. Which tally shows the red apples?
A) IIII
B) IIII I
C) IIII III
D) IIII IIII
10. A graph helps us ____.
A) Sleep better
B) Compare different things
C) Forget our data
D) Make noise
11. Lily wants to know which animal the class sees most often at recess. What should she do?
A) Guess the answer
B) Count and record the animals she sees
C) Stay inside
D) Ask what time it is
12. What can you learn from Sam's plant graph?
A) The plant got shorter
B) The plant grew taller each week
C) The plant stayed the same
D) The plant turned blue
Check Your Understanding
Think about these questions:
- What are two ways to record data?
- How do tally marks work?
- Why are graphs useful for scientists?
- Can you read information from a simple graph?
Next Steps
- Practice making tally marks when you count things at home
- Try drawing a picture graph of something you observe
- In the next lesson, you will learn how to write about what you discovered using CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning)!