Statistics - Draw Line Graphs - Planning

In Year 5, students are introduced to the concept of drawing line graphs as part of their Autumn Term statistics curriculum. The lesson aims to equip children with the skills to visually represent continuous data using line graphs. To facilitate this, resources such as rulers, squared paper, string, and sticky notes are provided, alongside worksheets and a presentation to guide the learning process. Key vocabulary terms like 'data', 'continuous', 'represent', 'line graph', 'scale', and 'interpret' are emphasized, with the option to access vocabulary cards and definitions online. The lesson begins with a quick recap of scales and coordinates, followed by an engaging activity where students answer questions about continuous data and its representation on a line graph.

The practical part of the lesson involves an interactive exercise where children create a human line graph to understand how data is plotted. They use string and sticky notes to represent rainfall data over the months of a year, which helps them visualize the graph before transferring the information onto paper. The activity emphasizes the importance of correct scaling and labelling on the x-axis and y-axis. Students then work in pairs to draw their line graphs on large squared paper, using the second set of data provided. This collaborative work allows them to compare their graphs and discuss any errors. Independent work follows, with differentiated worksheets tailored to various learning levels, from working towards expected standards to achieving greater depth in graph drawing. The lesson concludes with reflection on the skills learned, the usefulness of line graphs, and common pitfalls to avoid, such as incorrect labelling or scaling.