
SILO 1.1 (DRAFT) Year 1, Term 1: Graphs Scope and sequence: Bar graphs, Line graphs, Visualisations Focus: Representations
Learning intention: Students use reasoning about visualisations of data to describe and interpret their results.
NSW Syllabus	Australian Curriculum
"A student reasons about representations of data to describe and interpret the results" (MA1-DATA-02).	"Students learn to represent collected data for a categorical variable using one-to-one displays and digital tools where appropriate; compare the data using frequencies and discuss the findings" (AC9M1ST02).

Introduction to graphs

Graphs are a visual tool to represent data. As there are many types of data, there are also many types of graphs.

Bar charts and column graphs

The primary difference between a bar chart and a column graph is their orientation: bar charts use horizontal bars, while column graphs use vertical bars. Column graphs are good for displaying data with short labels or chronological, time-series data, whereas bar charts are good for comparing categories with long labels. In the glossary of The Australian Curriculum, a column graph is a "graph for organising and displaying categorical data. Equal-width rectangular bars are constructed for each category with height equal to the observed frequency of the category".

Making a class column graph

Make a class column graph using Unifix blocks to represent student birthdays across the 12 months.
Start by writing each of the months where are students can see it.
Each child has their own block which they place on the corresponding month to create a 3D column graph.

Data visualisation and graphs

This video (1:31) introduces graphs as a way to visualise data. It mentions three methods of collecting data, namely:

Observing
Asking questions
Taking measurements

Line graphs

A line graph is used to represent quantities which change over time. The following video (1:40) is a good example of how to make a line graph based on eating apples.

Sporting ladders

The following table shows a sporting ladder for Australia's National Rugby League (NRL) after three rounds had been played.

Which information in this table is the most important?

Is there any reason to make this table into a graph?

Pie charts

Pie charts use parts of a circle to represent parts of a whole. The following video (3:09) introduces pie charts showing several examples of how they can be used.

Choosing the most appropriate graph

Look carefully at the two graphs bellow.

Why do you think that a bar graph was used for rain and a line graph was used for temperature?

A double-sided A4 worksheet for bar graphs and line graphs is available here.

Moderated self-assessment

Discussions with students around the key components of conceptual topics and how they fit together can generate insights into student achievement.

Relevant terminology (in alphabetical order): axis, category, column, data, graph, interpretation, representation, row, table, visualisation.

Relationships between components: Data is collected through counting, measurement or observations and entered into a table. A bar graph is a visualisation of this data.

We welcome your feedback and suggestions

The chief investigator for The SILO Project is Associate Professor Brendan Jacobs, Head of Department STEM Education, University of New England. The SILO Project thrives on incremental improvement so constructive feedback is greatly appreciated. Please contact Brendan via email at bjacobs7@une.edu.au to share your thoughts and recommendations.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

SILO 1.1 (DRAFT)

Year 1, Term 1: Graphs

Scope and sequence: Bar graphs, Line graphs, Visualisations

Focus: Representations

Learning intention: Students use reasoning about visualisations of data to describe and interpret their results.