Collecting and Recording Data

Lesson Overview

Year Group: Year 6
Unit: Data Discovery Adventures
Lesson Number: 2 of 15
Lesson Duration: 50 minutes
Curriculum Area: Mathematics – Statistics (Key Stage 2, Year 6)
National Curriculum Objective:

• Pupils should be taught to interpret and construct pie charts and line graphs and use these to solve problems.
• Pupils should understand and apply methods for collecting, recording, and presenting data, including designing their own surveys.

This lesson introduces students to primary data collection methods, enabling them to create effective survey questions and record responses systematically.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, pupils will be able to:

1. Design effective survey questions appropriate for data collection.
2. Conduct a simple survey amongst peers, using structured methods.
3. Record responses accurately in a table or tally chart.
4. Recognise the importance of unbiased data collection when gathering responses.

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Lesson Structure

Starter Activity (10 minutes) – Questioning the Questions

1. Hook: Display the following three survey questions on the board:

   • "What is your favourite colour?"
   • "Do you love ice cream, yes or no?"
   • "How much time do you spend on homework?"

2. Class Discussion:

   • Are these questions clear?
   • What makes a good survey question?
   • Why do we avoid leading questions?

3. Mini-Challenge: In pairs, students refine one of the questions to make it clearer or more suitable for a class-wide survey.

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Main Activity (25 minutes) – Designing and Gathering Data

Step 1: Designing the Survey (10 minutes)

• Each group of three students selects a topic they’d like to collect data on (e.g., favourite sports, reading habits, after-school activities).
• Pupils draft three survey questions they will use to gather data.
• Teacher circulates to check for clarity and fairness in the questions.

Step 2: Conducting the Survey (15 minutes)

• Groups move around the classroom and survey 10 different classmates using their questions.
• Responses are recorded in a tally chart or simple table.
• Encourage pupils to record responses neatly and systematically.

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Plenary Activity (15 minutes) – Gathering Insights

Step 1: Spotting Trends (5 minutes)

• Pupils return to their groups and review their collected data.
• Groups answer questions such as:
  • What patterns do you notice in your responses?
  • Were there any unexpected results?
  • Did all participants interpret the questions the same way?

Step 2: Whole-Class Discussion (10 minutes)

• Each group shares one interesting finding from their data.
• Discuss bias and how different question formats could change survey responses.
• Teacher introduces the idea that data presentation (graphs) will follow in the next lesson.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Formative Assessment during group discussions to assess understanding of good survey questions.
• Observation while students conduct surveys to check data recording skills.
• Verbal Responses during the plenary to identify areas needing further clarification.

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Differentiation & Support

• For Pupils Who Need More Support: Provide sample survey questions with slight errors and ask them to improve wording. Offer structured templates for tally charts.
• For Pupils Working at Greater Depth: Challenge them to consider how they might group responses into categories and why open-ended questions might be harder to analyse.

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Resources Needed

✅ Whiteboard and markers
✅ Pre-prepared sample survey questions
✅ A3 paper or mini-whiteboards for group planning
✅ Tally chart templates
✅ Stopwatch or timer for structured data collection

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Teacher Reflection After Lesson

• Did pupils create clear and unbiased survey questions?
• Were they able to conduct their surveys efficiently within the time?
• What misconceptions arose during the plenary discussion?

This reflection will inform adjustments for the next lesson, where students will begin representing their data in graphs.

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This engaging, hands-on lesson fosters investigative thinking and encourages mathematical curiosity. By the end, students not only understand how to collect data but also appreciate the importance of fairness in surveys. 🚀