Statistics Question stems

The resource from KS2Gems is a valuable tool for Year 4 teachers aiming to enhance their pupils' understanding of statistics. The pack includes a collection of question stems designed to aid children in crafting their own queries based on a given set of data. These stems not only serve as prompts for student-led question creation but can also be utilised by educators to formulate specific questions that can be integrated into whole class or small group instruction. The questions cover a range of statistical concepts, such as identifying the most and least popular items in a survey, calculating totals and differences, and understanding representations in pictograms and scales in bar charts.

An example is provided to illustrate how these question stems can be applied. In a scenario where the survey question is about Year 4's favourite fancy dress costumes, the stems guide students through various analytical tasks. They are encouraged to consider the number of respondents, identify the most and least favoured costumes, perform simple calculations to find totals and differences, and explore the representation of data in graphical formats. This methodical approach not only bolsters their data handling skills but also promotes critical thinking as they interpret and analyse information. These question stems are versatile and can be adapted to suit a wide range of data sets, making them an indispensable part of the statistical toolkit for young learners.