Statistics: Collecting and Recording Data Worksheet

Question 1

Mia wants to find out which fruit her classmates like best: apples, bananas, oranges, or grapes. Write one clear survey question she could ask.

Accepted Answer

Mia could ask, "Which fruit do you like best: apples, bananas, oranges, or grapes?" This is a clear question because it gives the choices and asks for one favorite.

Question 2

A class records favorite pets using tally marks. Dogs: |||| |, Cats: |||, Fish: ||, Birds: |. Write the number of votes for each pet.

Accepted Answer

Dogs have 6 votes, cats have 3 votes, fish have 2 votes, and birds have 1 vote.

Question 3

Jordan counts how many red, blue, green, and yellow cars pass by in 10 minutes. Name two things Jordan should write at the top of his data table.

Accepted Answer

Jordan should write a title such as "Car Colors" and labels for the categories, such as "Color" and "Number of Cars." These labels make the table easier to understand.

Question 4

The school cafeteria wants to know which lunch students prefer. Which data collection method is best: guessing, asking students in a survey, or looking at the weather? Explain your choice.

Accepted Answer

Asking students in a survey is the best method because it collects information directly from the people who will eat the lunches.

Question 5

Create a tally chart for these votes for favorite recess activity: soccer, jump rope, soccer, tag, soccer, jump rope, tag, soccer.

Accepted Answer

The tally chart should show soccer with 4 votes, jump rope with 2 votes, and tag with 2 votes.

Question 6

A student writes this data in a notebook: 3, 5, 2, 4. Explain why these numbers are not very useful by themselves.

Accepted Answer

The numbers are not very useful by themselves because they do not say what was counted. The student needs labels, a title, or categories to explain what the numbers mean.

Question 7

You are collecting data about how students get to school. Write four possible categories for your data table.

Accepted Answer

Four possible categories are bus, car, walk, and bike. These categories describe common ways students get to school.

Question 8

Look at this data table: Favorite Color, Number of Students. Red: 5, Blue: 8, Green: 4, Purple: 3. How many students were surveyed in all?

Accepted Answer

There were 20 students surveyed in all because 5 + 8 + 4 + 3 = 20.

Question 9

A class is measuring plant growth each Monday for four weeks. What should they record each time they measure the plant?

Accepted Answer

They should record the date, the plant height, and the unit of measurement. Recording the same information each time helps the data stay organized.

Question 10

Sam asks only his three best friends what game the class should play. Explain why this may not give a fair picture of what the whole class wants.

Accepted Answer

This may not give a fair picture because three best friends may not have the same opinions as the whole class. Sam should ask more classmates to collect better data.

Question 11

The following temperatures were recorded each day: Monday 70°F, Tuesday 72°F, Wednesday 71°F, Thursday 75°F, Friday 74°F. Make a table with two columns that would organize this data.

Accepted Answer

The table should have one column labeled "Day" and one column labeled "Temperature." The rows should list Monday 70°F, Tuesday 72°F, Wednesday 71°F, Thursday 75°F, and Friday 74°F.

Question 12

A teacher wants students to record how many pages they read each night for a week. Why is a table a good way to record this data?

Accepted Answer

A table is a good way to record this data because it keeps each night and the number of pages in order. It also makes the information easy to compare.

Question 13

Write one observation you could record while studying the weather outside. Then write one measurement you could record.

Accepted Answer

An observation could be "The sky is cloudy." A measurement could be "The temperature is 68°F." Observations describe what you notice, and measurements use numbers and units.

Question 14

A group is counting insects in the school garden. They find 7 ants, 2 butterflies, 5 beetles, and 1 ladybug. What title would be a good title for this data table?

Accepted Answer

A good title would be "Insects Found in the School Garden." This title tells what the data is about.

Question 15

You finish collecting data about favorite ice cream flavors. List two things you should check before using the data to make a graph.

Accepted Answer

You should check that each vote was counted once and that the categories are labeled clearly. This helps make sure the graph will be accurate.

Statistics: Collecting and Recording Data

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