Data Collection Activity

Unit Context

Unit: Farming for the Future (Lesson 5 of 25)
Grade Band: 2nd - 5th grade (multi-age classroom)
Duration: 60 minutes
Class Size: 13 students

IB Curriculum Alignment

Programme: Primary Years Programme (PYP) – Phases 2-5
Transdisciplinary Theme: How We Organize Ourselves
Central Idea: Sustainable farming practices affect our environment and daily life.
Key Concepts: Form, Perspective, Responsibility
Approaches to Learning (ATL):

Communication skills: collecting and presenting data
Social skills: collaboration and respectful listening
Thinking skills: analyzing and interpreting information

Statement of Inquiry: Understanding data collection helps us make informed decisions about farming and food choices.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, students will be able to:

Identify the purpose of data collection in farming.
Design and create a simple survey with relevant, clear questions related to food choices.
Conduct a peer survey respectfully and efficiently.
Collect and organize survey data accurately.

Success Criteria

Students will:

Create a survey with at least 5 relevant questions about peers’ food choices.
Conduct the survey with at least 5 classmates.
Record responses clearly using a provided template.
Demonstrate respectful communication during survey conduction.

Materials Needed

Survey templates (dyslexia-friendly format with large font and clear spacing)
Clipboards or notebooks for recording answers
Writing utensils (pencils, colored pencils)
Whiteboard and markers
Data chart frames (for later graphing in extension)
Timer for activity pacing

Lesson Outline

1. Introduction & Connection (10 minutes)

Objective: Activate prior knowledge and link today’s lesson to the unit.

Start with a brief class discussion: "Why do farmers collect data? What kinds of information might they need?"
Use a KWL chart on the whiteboard (What we Know / What we Want to know / What we Learned) in a dyslexia-friendly font.
Explain: “Today we are going to practice collecting data like farmers do, by asking our friends about their food choices.”
Connect to Reggio Emilia philosophy by encouraging student voice: What would you like to ask your classmates about food?

2. Survey Design (15 minutes)

Objective: Guide students to create their own simple surveys.

Show examples of survey questions related to food choices (e.g., favorite fruit, times they eat vegetables in a week).
Distribute survey question templates with sentence starters (e.g., “What is your favorite vegetable?” “How many times do you eat fruit each day?”) to support diverse learners and students with dyslexia.
In pairs or small groups, students draft 5-7 survey questions on their templates.
Teacher circulates to support question clarity and ensure relevance to farming and food choices.
Offer challenge: Create one “why” question for advanced learners (extension activity).

3. Survey Conducting (15 minutes)

Objective: Practice respectful data collection and recording.

Model respectful interviewing techniques: listening carefully, asking politely, thank you’s.
Students pair up and take turns conducting their surveys with at least 5 classmates (can rotate in triads if time allows).
Use clipboards/notebooks to record responses; guide students to write or mark answers clearly.
Teacher provides visual or oral check-ins to maintain focus and engagement.

4. Debrief & Reflection (10 minutes)

Objective: Share experiences and process learning.

Whole group discussion: What was easy or tricky about collecting data? What did you learn about your friends’ food choices?
Use “think-pair-share” to allow every student a voice, respecting Reggio Emilia’s student-led inquiry values.
Introduce the next step (extension activity) – “Next time we will organize our data and show it with pictures or graphs!”

5. Extension Activity (Optional/For Advanced Learners)

Objective: Analyze and present survey data visually.

Use collected data to create simple bar graphs or pictographs on chart paper or digitally if available.
Encourage students to interpret their graphs aloud or in writing: What patterns do they see? What surprised them?
Allow students to lead a mini-presentation to peers, developing communication skills further.

Differentiation Strategies

Learner Needs	Support Strategies
Students with dyslexia	Dyslexia-friendly templates, clear fonts, large spacing, oral instructions repeated with visuals
English Language Learners (ELLs)	Use visuals and sentence stems, paired work for peer support, explain vocabulary beforehand
Students with fine motor challenges	Provide clipboards or tablets with typing options for recording answers
Advanced learners	Challenge with “why” questions, data analysis, graphing, and peer presentations
Students needing more guidance	Guided scaffolding by teacher or peer buddy, simplified question sets

Assessment

Formative:

Teacher observation of student participation during survey design and data collection.
Review of survey questions for relevance and clarity.
Check accuracy of data recording during survey conduction.

Summative (to be used in future lessons):

Presentation of survey findings through graphs or reports (part of next lessons).

Reflection for Teachers

How effectively did students understand the importance of data in farming?
Which differentiation strategies supported engagement best?
What modifications might be needed for future lessons to deepen inquiry and student ownership?

Thank you for your dedication to fostering inquiry, creativity, and respect for data in young learners! This lesson invites your students to practice real-world skills through a hands-on, collaborative approach, perfectly aligned to the IB Primary Years Programme and the Reggio Emilia philosophy.

Teaching Instructions