Health Data Inquiry

Overview

In this lesson, students in Year 10 review what primary and secondary data mean, then use data they collected from the previous lesson to identify a local health concern. Students refine the concern that emerged from primary data and begin selecting secondary sources to justify how the issue affects people personally.

Learning intentions

• Students will revise the difference between primary and secondary data and why each matters.
• Students will collect, organise, and review primary data on an identified health concern.
• Students will synthesise primary data to determine the biggest or most urgent concern in the local community.
• Students will finalise the health concern that is supported by primary data.
• Students will begin identifying secondary sources that explain the personal impact of the chosen concern.

Success criteria

• I can explain what primary data and secondary data are and give an example of each.
• I can organise my survey/observation/research results and summarise what the data suggests.
• I can justify my final chosen health concern using evidence from the primary data.
• I can list the type of secondary source I will use to show the impact on individuals’ health and wellbeing.

Curriculum links

• HPE knowledge: using health concepts to understand and respond to health and wellbeing issues.
• Research and inquiry skills: gathering, interpreting, and using health information and data.
• Health communication: creating clear summaries and evidence-based claims.
• Personal and social skills: collaborating respectfully during group research and discussion.

Lesson structure (70 minutes)

1. (0–5 min) Warm-up: Data recall

• Students complete a quick “Think–Pair–Share” prompt: “What is primary data? What is secondary data?” Students share one example for each.
• Teacher checks misconceptions (e.g., “secondary data is not just opinions; it comes from research/reporting by others”).

2. (5–15 min) Mini-task: Review and refine primary data

• In small groups (3–4), students bring their primary data notes from last lesson (e.g., survey results, observations, brief interviews).
• Students confirm what type of data they have, then list key results (top responses, most common themes, or notable patterns).

3. (15–30 min) Collect and organise primary data

• Students create a clean summary for their group using a simple template: data type, sample source (who/where), major findings, and any limitations (small sample, bias, timing).
• Teacher circulates using prompts: “What do your numbers/quotes show?” “What patterns repeat?”

4. (30–42 min) Synthesise: Identify local concerns

• Groups combine their findings into a “concern dashboard” on paper: possible concerns (2–3), supporting evidence from the primary data, and how strongly it appeared.
• As a class, students compare dashboards to identify likely shared concerns across the room (e.g., activity levels, sleep, bullying/cyber safety, nutrition choices, mental wellbeing, substance-related harms—choose based on student-collected data).

5. (42–55 min) Finalise the primary-data concern

• Each group drafts one final health concern statement that starts with: “In our local community, the health concern is… because the primary data shows…”
• Teacher checks that the statement is evidence-based and specific (not too broad), and students revise using peer feedback.

6. (55–65 min) Start secondary sources: personal impact

• Students begin a “Secondary Source Plan” by selecting what they will research next: how the chosen concern affects people personally (physical, social, emotional, or mental wellbeing).
• Students list at least two possible source types, such as government health information, reputable health organisations, journal articles, or census/surveillance summaries (no links required).

7. (65–70 min) Exit ticket: evidence + next step

• Individually, students submit:
• one sentence explaining their final health concern with one piece of primary evidence
• one sentence describing what they will look for in secondary sources (personal impact).

Resources

• Group summary template (primary data organiser, concern dashboard, secondary source plan)
• Printed copies of last lesson’s data collection materials (if needed)
• Pens, highlighters, sticky notes, chart paper
• Timer and clear success criteria display
• Teacher checklist for evidence-based health concern statements
• Optional: short text excerpts from reputable sources (teacher-prepared) for modelling source impact on individuals
• Dyslexia-friendly reading supports: coloured paper, short chunked handouts, text-to-speech access if available

Assessment

• Formative assessment through teacher observations and questioning during group synthesis.
• Checklist-based review of group final concern statements for evidence use (primary data) and clarity.
• Exit ticket to confirm understanding of primary vs secondary and the next inquiry step (secondary sources for personal impact).

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters for concern statements and a simplified template with prompts (e.g., “The most common finding was…” “This suggests…”).
• Support (reading): offer short, chunked excerpts with key vocabulary pre-clarified; allow text-to-speech; reduce reading load by summarising findings orally first.
• Extension: challenge advanced students to include limitations of the primary data and how secondary sources could address them (e.g., larger sample, age-specific evidence).
• EAL/SEN: allow bilingual support where available, pair students strategically, and permit oral responses before writing final sentences.

Dyslexia-friendly reading options

• Use printed templates on off-white/coloured paper with larger font.
• Provide audio versions of any teacher model texts and allow students to respond orally or with speech-to-text where appropriate.