Acquire data for categorical and discrete numerical variables to address a question of interest or purpose by observing, collecting and accessing data sets

Data collection should answer a clear question. Categorical data uses labels, while discrete numerical data uses countable numbers.

Learning routine: Ask question → Identify variable → Collect fairly → Tally → Frequency table → Check total

Success looks like

• Ask data questions
• Identify variable types
• Collect data
• Use tallies and frequency tables
• Use spreadsheets

Success criteria:

• Ask data questions
• Identify variable types
• Collect data
• Use tallies and frequency tables
• Use spreadsheets

Key idea: Data collection should answer a clear question. Categorical data uses labels, while discrete numerical data uses countable numbers.

Learning routine: Ask question → Identify variable → Collect fairly → Tally → Frequency table → Check total

categorical data

information sorted into named groups

discrete numerical data

counted number data with separate values

frequency table

a table showing how often each value occurs

The content description and elaborations below show the curriculum ideas taught in this unit. Items marked as teaching context support lesson planning.

• Content description: acquire data for categorical and discrete numerical variables to address a question of interest or purpose by observing, collecting and accessing data sets; record the data using appropriate methods including frequency tables and spreadsheets
• E1: using efficient ways to collect and record data; for example, written surveys, online surveys, polling the class using interactive digital mediums, and representing and reporting the results of investigations
• E2: developing questions of interest and using surveys, observations or experiments to collect categorical, discrete numerical or qualitative data sets and discussing what kind of data can be used to help inform or answer the question in a statistical investigation
• E3: using lists, tallies, symbols and digital data tables to record and display data collected during a chance experiment for interpretation
• E4: using different online sources to access data; for example, using online query interfaces to select and retrieve data from an online database such as weather records, Google Trends or the World Health Organization
• E5: using software to sort and calculate data when solving problems; for example, sorting discrete numerical and categorical data in ascending or descending order and automating simple arithmetic calculations using nearby cells and the Sum function in spreadsheets to calculate total frequencies of collected data

Australian, Victorian and NSW alignment retained from the previous page

What is the big idea in this topic?

Data collection should answer a clear question. Categorical data uses labels, while discrete numerical data uses countable numbers.

What routine should I use?

Ask question → Identify variable → Collect fairly → Tally → Frequency table → Check total

How do I know I am ready to move on?

You can ask data questions, identify variable types, collect data, use tallies and frequency tables, use spreadsheets and explain how your model or calculation supports the answer.

• Question too vague — State exactly what data will answer.
• Double counting — Record each observation or person once.
• Variable types mixed — Categories are labels; discrete numbers are counts.

1. Explain why every response should be recorded once.

2. A student asks 'What do you like?' for a transport survey. Rewrite the question to be precise.

Review hint: Follow the routine “Ask question → Identify variable → Collect fairly → Tally → Frequency table → Check total” and use the worked model to check whether your answer is reasonable.

Data collection should answer a clear question. Categorical data uses labels, while discrete numerical data uses countable numbers.

Learning routine: Ask question → Identify variable → Collect fairly → Tally → Frequency table → Check total

Success looks like

• Ask data questions
• Identify variable types
• Collect data
• Use tallies and frequency tables
• Use spreadsheets

Success criteria:

• Ask data questions
• Identify variable types
• Collect data
• Use tallies and frequency tables
• Use spreadsheets

• Australian Curriculum Version 9.0 — ACARA
• Victorian Curriculum — VCAA
• NSW Curriculum — NESA

Official curriculum sites are the source of record.

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