Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 3

Lesson Video

This page supports the lesson note with a companion video and a short classroom-ready summary.

For class groups and homework, share this lesson page so learners also get the summary, objectives, and full lesson context.

Performance objectives

• Collect data using tally marks.
• Organize data into tables and pictographs.
• Answer questions using data from tables and pictographs.
• Use our data skills to solve real-life problems.
• Learn strategies to feel calm and ready for exams.

Lesson summary

Data handling is like being a detective! It’s all about collecting information, organizing it in a way that makes sense, and then using that information to answer questions and make decisions. In our everyday lives in South Africa, we use data handling more than we realize. Imagine counting how many children in your class like different types of fruits, or figuring out which is the most popular flavour of ice cream at the tuck shop. This information helps us understand what's happening around us. This week, we’ll focus on making sure we're comfortable with data handling concepts and preparing for our upcoming tests.

Lesson notes

2.1 What is Data? Data is just another word for information! It can be anything we collect, like how many pets our classmates have, their favourite colours, or even the types of cars that pass by our school. 2.2 Collecting Data: Tally Marks Tally marks are a quick and easy way to count things. We use vertical lines ( | ) to represent each item, and we group them in sets of five to make counting easier ( | | | | ). The fifth line is drawn across the other four ( | | | | / ).

Example: Let’s say we ask 10 children their favourite fruit. Here’s how we might record their answers using tally marks: Apples: | | | Bananas: | | | | / Oranges: | | 2.3 Organizing Data: Tables A table helps us organize data in rows and columns. Each row represents a category, and each column shows how many items are in that category.

Example: Using the fruit data from above, we can create a table: | Fruit | Number of Children | | :-------- | :------------------ | | Apples | 3 | | Bananas | 5 | | Oranges | 2 | 2.4 Representing Data: Pictographs A pictograph uses pictures or symbols to represent data. Each picture represents a certain number of items. It's important to have a key that tells us what each picture stands for.

Example: Let’s use a smiley face (😊) to represent one child. Our pictograph for the fruit data would look like this: | Fruit | Pictograph | | :-------- | :--------------------- | | Apples | 😊 😊 😊 | | Bananas | 😊 😊 😊 😊 😊 | | Oranges | 😊 😊 | Key: 😊 = 1 child 2.5 Interpreting Data Interpreting data means understanding what the data tells us.

We can ask questions like: Which fruit is the most popular? (Bananas) Which fruit is the least popular? (Oranges) How many children like apples or oranges? (3 + 2 = 5) 2.6 Exam Preparation Strategies Read the question carefully: Underline important information and keywords.

Plan your time: Don't spend too long on one question. If you're stuck, move on and come back to it later.

Show your working: Even if you don't get the right answer, you might get marks for showing your steps.

Check your answers: Make sure your answers make sense and that you’ve answered all parts of the question. Breathe! Take deep breaths to stay calm and focused. Guided Practice (With Solutions)

Question 1: You ask 8 friends what their favorite color is. 3 say blue, 2 say red, and 3 say green. Use tally marks to record the data.

Solution: Blue: | | | Red: | | Green: | | |

Commentary: This question helps learners practice the skill of recording data using tally marks. We're using a simple real-life scenario that is relatable to Grade 3 learners.

Question 2: Use the tally marks below to create a table showing the number of learners who like different animals: Dogs: | | | | Cats: | | | | / Birds: | | Solution: | Animal | Number of Learners | | :------- | :----------------- | | Dogs | 4 | | Cats | 5 | | Birds | 2 |

Commentary: This question builds on the previous one by requiring learners to convert tally marks into a table. It also reinforces understanding of how tables are organized.

Question 3: A shop sells different types of sweets. The pictograph below shows how many of each sweet were sold in one day. Each sweet symbol represents 2 sweets. | Sweet Type | Pictograph | | :--------- | :---------------------- | | Lollipops | 🍬 🍬 🍬 | | Chocolates | 🍬 🍬 🍬 🍬 | | Gums | 🍬 🍬 | Key: 🍬 = 2 sweets How many lollipops were sold? How many chocolates were sold? Which sweet was sold the most?

Solution: Lollipops: 3 symbols x 2 sweets/symbol = 6 lollipops Chocolates: 4 symbols x 2 sweets/symbol = 8 chocolates Chocolates were sold the most.

Commentary: This question requires learners to interpret a pictograph and perform simple multiplication to find the total number of each item. It also reinforces the skill of comparing data to answer questions. Independent Practice (Questions Only) Ask 10 people in your family what their favorite South African dish is. Use tally marks to record their answers. Create a table to show the data you collected in Question

1. Draw a pictograph to represent the data in your table. Use a simple symbol to represent one person. Which South African dish was the most popular in your survey? Which was the least popular? A class voted for their favorite sport.

The results are: Soccer: 8 votes, Rugby: 5 votes, Netball: 7 votes. Draw a pictograph to show the results. Let each ball represent one vote. Use the pictograph you created in Question 5 to answer the following questions: Which sport received the most votes? Which sport received the fewest votes? How many more votes did soccer receive than rugby? You have a bag with 5 red marbles, 3 blue marbles, and 2 green marbles. Represent this data in a table. The tuck shop recorded sales of cool drinks for a week. The table shows the results. |Cool drink| Number sold| |---|---| |Coke| 15| |Fanta| 12| |Sprite| 8| Draw a pictograph to represent the information.