Introduction to the topic

The following video (5:24) explains how our five senses can be used to help us make observations about the objects around us.

Making a tally

A tally is a good way to count objects as demonstrated in the following video (1:58) using garden flowers as an example.

Tallies can also be very useful for keeping score in sporting matches as the score can be changed by adding to the tally without having to rewrite it.

This video (2:21) is a child-friendly introduction to data using examples from sorting the laundry.

• Each students receives a six-sided dice.
• Students will roll their dice and place a tick in the corresponding box below each time they roll.
• Students can create these tables on a page of their science workbook/journal, piece of paper (preferably grid paper), or you can print out an A4 sized PDF available here. 
• Start with some practice by copying these three tallies and then write the total as a number. (This practice exercise in on the PDF or you can model this for the class if they are drawing their own tables. The focus is on when and why to use the non-vertical line to delineate groups of five.)

• Roll one dice at a time and record your data as a tally in the table below.

Did any number occur more than another?

Did any number occur more than another? This could also be phrased as, "Are there any patterns in the data?"

Why was seven the most common number? (Hover over the question icon to reveal the answer.)

Extension activity: In addition to rolling actual dice, there is an activity in SILO 3.4 'Coding' titled Making dice where students use micro:bits to generate numbers. This is a good introduction to block-based coding because students can quickly see that they can choose how the micro:bits generate the numbers by pressing Button A, Button B, or shaking the micro:bit as if they were shaking actual dice in their hand.

Reflex activity

This activity can be done in pairs using a ruler, paper and a pencil.

• One student holds a ruler upright with zero at the bottom.
• The other student places their thumb and index finger apart on either side of the zero.
• The student holding the ruler releases the ruler without warning.
• The other student catches the ruler by bringing their thumb and index finger together.
• The corresponding measurement on the ruler can be readily converted to time based on acceleration due to gravity.
• Every 10 centimetres can be equated to 0.1 second so 20 centimetres would 0.2 seconds.
• This activity could be conducted as a standalone experiment or repeated at different times of the day to compare reflexes at different times such as morning and afternoon.
• A table would be a logical way to record the data.
• A bar graph would be a logical way to compare the data if contrasting morning and afternoon.
• The data would be more accurate by averaging multiple measurements.

 

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