Sorting data and finding patterns is the first step in identifying a problem to solve. This resource asks students to sort picture data in lots of different ways.
Students could even go for a walk along their street and sort the houses into categories. For example: 2 storey, old, new, big, small, number of windows – whatever categories you can imagine.
Sometimes we can re-sort the information and find that items were separate in one category, but together in another. Use the NRich mathematics resource to sort the houses into categories.
Structure and features
Discuss with the student – what's happening in your street?
Ask students to follow these steps.
- Sort the houses in three different ways in the sort the street online game.
- Go for a walk and tally the houses in your street into categories using the house tally template. You can also make your own categories instead of using the house tally template.
- Once you've sorted the houses, record some statements about your street starting with the following.
"Most houses in my street..."
"Some houses in my street..."
"Very few houses in my street...
Reflect: what can be inferred by looking at the houses in the street. Can you identify any problems that the neighbours should know about? Record your ideas.
Links and files
Teacher notes
This learning aligns with the Digital Technologies subject in the Australian Curriculum R-2 band.
The strand is focussed on data collection and analysis.
