4 - Data and Data Representation

Sorting and classifying collections of objects are staples of a kindergarten math program. Students need opportunities to freely explore material and to determine their own rule or criteria for sorting it. They become aware of the multiple attributes of objects and learn that items can be sorted and organized in multiple ways. They sort by shape, size, color, texture, function, and other physical characteristics. Sorting and comparing activities provide students with opportunities to learn mathematical and descriptive language as they explain and justify the criteria they have used. A natural extension is to count the objects in each of the categories and learn to line them up to compare them. These are activities that students can do over and over in centers, where they determine and share their personal “rule” for sorting. Concurrently teachers often create opportunities for the class to collect information that they graph in different ways. Graphing is typically a class activity, set up to answer a question the teacher or the class has posed. This unit explores sorting, organizing, representing and describing activities in which students are engaged, both individually and as a class, with the mathematics concepts that these activities promote.

Not applicable

1. What questions can I investigate?
2. How can I organize data I collect?
3. What are different ways I can represent the data I collect?
4. What do I see/notice about the data?
5. What questions can I ask about the data?
6. What questions can I answer with the data?
7. How do data help us make predictions?