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NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre
Tinker with Tinker Plots
Elaine Watkins, Senior Curriculum Officer, Numeracy
NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre
Graphs in the curriculum
• Graphs play a significant role in the mathematics curriculum, providing visual means of presenting information.
• The visual representations provide numerical, pictorial, and statistical information by combining symbols, points, lines, numbers, shading and colour (Tufte, 1983) with the aim of conveying information quickly and efficiently.
• Students should have the experience to create graphs with and without technology, so that they can explain what they have created and draw conclusions from the representations.
NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre
Comparison of Syllabus Outcomes
2002 Syllabus – Key ideas Statistics and probability
Draft Syllabus
Chance and
Data
Early Stage 1
Stage 1 Early Stage 1 Stage 1
Collect data about students & their environment
Gather & record data using tally marks
Uses concrete materials and/or pictorial representations to support conclusions
Supports conclusions by explaining or demonstrating how answers were obtained(data1 & data 2)
Display the data using concrete materials & pictorial representationsUse objects or pictures as symbols to represent other objects, using one-to-one correspondence
Organise actual objects or picturesof the objects into a data display
Represents data & interprets data displays made from objects & pictures
Gathers & organises data, representing data in column & picture graphs, & interprets the results(data 1 & data 2)
Uses objects, diagrams & technology to explore mathematical problems(data 2)
Interpret data displays made from objects and pictures
Interpret information presented in picture graphs & column graphs
Recognise the element of chance in familiar daily eventsUse familiar language to describe the element of chance
Describes mathematical situations & methods using everyday & some mathematical language, actions, materials, diagrams and symbols(data 1 & data 2)
Describes mathematical situations using everyday language, actions, materials and informal recordings
NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre
Comparison of Syllabus Outcomes
2002 Syllabus – Key ideas Draft Syllabus
Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 2Data 1 & 2
Stage 3Data 1 & 2
Chance and data
Conduct surveys, classify & organise data using tables
Draw picture, column, line & divided bar graphs using scales of many-to-one correspondence
Statistics & pro
bability
Uses appropriate terminology to describe, & symbols to represent, mathematical ideas
Describes & represents mathematical situations in a variety of ways using mathematical terminology & some conventions
Construct vertical & horizontal column graphs& picture graphs
Read & interpret sector (pie) graphs
Selects & uses appropriate mental or written strategies, or technology to solve problems
Gives a valid reason for supporting one possible solution over another
Interpret data presented in tables, column graphs and picture graphs
Read & interpret graphs with scales of many-to-one correspondence Checks the accuracy
of a statement & explains the reasoning used
Uses appropriate data collection methods, constructs & interprets data displays & analyses sets of data
Determine the mean (average) for a small set of data
Selects appropriate data collection methods & constructs, compares & interprets data displays
Explore all possible outcomes in a simple chance situationConduct simple chance experimentsCollect data & compare likelihood of events in different contexts
Assign numerical values to the likelihood of simple events occurringOrder the likelihood of simple events on a number from 0 to 1
NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre
What is Tinker Plots?
• Tinker Plots is a data analysis program designed to enable students in grades 4–8 to get excited about what they can learn from data.
• The students will analyse data by creating colourful visual representations that will help the students make sense out of real data and recognize patterns as they unfold.
• Students can use Tinker Plots to produce reports that include graphs, along with text that explains their findings and even photos they take or locate on the Internet.
• Students can manipulate data and learn what the relationships mean.
NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre
How can Tinker plots be used?
Students can use Tinker plots to:• construct dot plots for numerical data• consider the data type to determine & draw the most appropriate display for
the data, including column graphs, dot plots and line graphs• name & label the horizontal & vertical axes when constructing graphs• tabulate collected data, including numerical data with & without the use of
digital technologies such as spreadsheets• discuss & draw conclusions from different data displays• interpret information presented in two-way tables• create a two-way table to organise data involving two categorical variables• interpret & compare different displays of the same data • interpret data representations found in digital media and in factual texts.
NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre
What is a stacked dot plot?
• A stacked dot plot is a way of representing numerical data.• They are ideal for making comparisons of data.
NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre
Table group task using a stacked dot plot
• As a table group collect data to create a stacked dot plot.• Write down your height (estimate if not known), and shoe
size. • As a whole group, determine an appropriate scale for
creating a stacked dot plot.• Use a paper streamer for the scale and the coloured
dots to create a stacked dot plot to represent the data you collected.
• Label the stacked dot plot.• What questions could you ask about your graph and
data?
NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre
Features of a stacked dot plot
Features include:• An automatic sorting of data - once the axis is chosen
the data points can be plotted in any order but are actually sorted by the plotting process.
• A good choice of scale in a dot plot can make the shape of the data clearer
• Easy identification of the range and highlighting of extreme values (‘outliers’).
• Reveals any peaks and/or mode/s in the data.
NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre
Looking at data in Tinker Plots
NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre
Importing data from Excel spreadsheet
NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre
Stacked dot plots - teaching implications
• Use real data, relevant to the students• Students need to determine an appropriate scale from the data collected.
Identify the lowest score and the highest score.• In a stacked dot plot, the dots must align vertically and horizontally.
Example of a poor stacked dot plot
Stacked dot plots only give a good pictorial representation of frequency when the 'dots' are aligned.
NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre
Stacked dot plots - teaching implications
• The graph and the axis need to be labelled.• Is the data accurate? Look at outliers.• Students should be able to describe what the stacked dot plot shows about
the data• Introduce statistical terminology to assist students to describe their data
(e.g. mode, median, range, mean, outlier)• When comparing two stacked dot plots, have the same range and scale on
the axis
Resource to support the statistics and probability strand
• This report focuses on the application of graphs for portraying data, and their potential as instruments for reasoning about quantitative information.
• Available from• http://
www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/primary/mathematics/resources/data/index.htm