Data handling using graphs, tables and sensors

A short review (TES 1996)

There has been talk in high places that we need to do more data handling in primary science. It seems that we are getting good at teaching what a fair test is. We are also good at making graphs and tables to display results.

But even the best graph-drawers in the world need to move on. We need to get children to interpret their data and find the patterns and trends within it. And to help put that into practice this booklet is a guide to four investigations - loosely aimed at year 5.
In `are you wearing plastic' the children do a survey of clothes. There's a guide to what to do and how to present your results in a table or chart. You can even use these to find which artificial fibres are found in clothes and which are the most common.

There are other pertinent questions to explore. In `which clothing would you wear on a cold day' the children use thermometers to compare cooling cups of water which they wrap up differently. They are asked to predict the answer and encouraged to be critical of their work. Another question, `which sunglasses are to best to wear on sunny days' makes use of a light sensor attached to computer to see which lets through the least light. Finally, in `which plastic would you choose to make a skateboard' you can test pieces of plastic with hanging weights to see which holds up best.

For each investigation there is a shopping list of questions to ask, typical results, follow up questions and children's work. Much of the data here is just ripe for analysing on the computer although take comfort there's no insistence on that.

Throughout the booklet there is a great reassurance to be had from the samples of work provided. Overall it's a modest production - succinct and thus not a burden to read. But if you don't find all the answers to how to do an investigation here, also be assured it is a deliberate ploy - a sort-of case of the medium being the message.

Primary Science: Data handling using graphs tables and sensors.
By Caroline Gray, Susan Rodrigues, Liz Simpson and Chris Sowden.
42pp booklet. From Sheena Smith, School of Education, University of Durham, Leazes Road, Durham, DH1 1TA. Price: £8.00 inclusive

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