Discrete or Continuous?
A free maths worksheet ready for your classroom. Open in Kuraplan to grab the print-ready PDF, customize it for your students, or generate a fresh version in seconds.
Station B: Context Strips
Context Strips: Count or Measure?
Read each strip. You may ask a partner or teacher to read it aloud. Find the numerical variable. Decide if it is discrete (counted) or continuous (measured). Explain your choice.
Word bank: count, measured, whole numbers, decimals, units, variable.
Success criteria: I can identify the variable, classify it, and give a reason linked to the context.
Ruby counts the number of pets in each home. A home may have 0, 1, 2, or 3 pets.
Variable: ____________________ Discrete / Continuous Why? ____________________
A nurse measures each student’s height in centimetres. A height could be 154.2 cm.
Variable: ____________________ Discrete / Continuous Why? ____________________
The weather station records the temperature in °C at midday. It may be 18.6°C.
Variable: ____________________ Discrete / Continuous Why? ____________________
Students record their journey time in minutes. A journey may take 12.5 minutes.
Variable: ____________________ Discrete / Continuous Why? ____________________
A team records the number of goals scored in each game. Goals are counted as whole numbers.
Variable: ____________________ Discrete / Continuous Why? ____________________
A cook measures the mass of flour in grams. The mass may be 250.5 g.
Variable: ____________________ Discrete / Continuous Why? ____________________
A shop records each person’s shoe size. Sizes are listed as 5, 5.5, 6, and so on.
Variable: ____________________ Discrete / Continuous Why? ____________________
A science class measures the volume of water in millilitres. A sample may contain 83.7 mL.
Variable: ____________________ Discrete / Continuous Why? ____________________
A library counts the number of books borrowed by each student this month.
Variable: ____________________ Discrete / Continuous Why? ____________________
A runner measures the distance travelled in metres. The distance may be 1,250.8 m.
Variable: ____________________ Discrete / Continuous Why? ____________________
A bus driver counts the number of passengers on the bus. Part of a passenger cannot be counted.
Variable: ____________________ Discrete / Continuous Why? ____________________
A student measures a plant’s growth in centimetres each week. Growth may be 2.35 cm.
Variable: ____________________ Discrete / Continuous Why? ____________________
Recording Table
Record your answers. Use a short reason such as “It is counted in whole numbers” or “It is measured and can have decimals”.
Support: Read one strip at a time. Highlight words such as number, counted, measures, or a unit such as cm or °C. Discuss your answer before writing.
Extension: Pick one measured variable. Explain why recording it only to the nearest whole number does not make the variable itself discrete.
Teacher Answer Key
Discrete means counted. Continuous means measured and able to take values within a range, including decimals.
1. Number of pets — Discrete; pets are counted in whole numbers.
2. Height — Continuous; height is measured in centimetres and can have decimals.
3. Temperature — Continuous; temperature is measured in °C and can have decimals.
4. Journey time — Continuous; time is measured and can include fractions of a minute.
5. Number of goals — Discrete; goals are counted in whole numbers.
6. Mass — Continuous; mass is measured in grams and can have decimals.
7. Shoe size — Discrete; the shop uses set listed sizes, such as 5 and 5.5.
8. Water volume — Continuous; volume is measured in millilitres and can have decimals.
9. Number of books — Discrete; books are counted in whole numbers.
10. Distance — Continuous; distance is measured in metres and can have decimals.
11. Number of passengers — Discrete; passengers are counted in whole numbers.
12. Plant growth — Continuous; growth is measured and can have decimals.
About This Worksheet
Free in Kuraplan
Sign up free, grab the PDF, and customize it for your class.
Print-Ready
Formatted for standard paper. Clean layout, easy to read.
AI-Generated
Created with Kuraplan's AI, designed for real classroom use.
For Teachers & Parents
Use in classrooms, for homework, tutoring, or homeschool.
Need a custom version of this worksheet?
Kuraplan's AI generates custom worksheets in seconds — differentiated for every learner, aligned to your curriculum.
Generate Custom Worksheets — Free
