Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 7

Data handling and probability (Grade 7) – Week 6 focus

Download the Lessonotes Mobile South Africa app for faster lesson access on Android and iPhone.

Subject: Mathematics

Class: Grade 7

Term: Term 4

Week: 6

Theme: General lesson support

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

Lesson summary

This week, we're diving deeper into the fascinating world of data handling and probability. Understanding how to collect, organize, represent, and interpret data, as well as assess the likelihood of events, is crucial for making informed decisions in everyday life. From interpreting weather forecasts (will it rain in Durban tomorrow?) to understanding survey results about local issues (do people in our community support building a new sports field?), data handling and probability provide valuable tools for navigating our surroundings.

Lesson notes

2.1 Compound Bar Graphs A compound bar graph (also sometimes called a stacked bar graph) displays different categories within a single bar. It is useful for showing how a total amount is divided into its component parts across different groups or time periods. Why use them? Compound bar graphs allow you to easily compare the total size of different groups and the relative proportions of their subcategories simultaneously.

Example: Imagine a survey of Grade 7 learners at two different schools, School A and School B, about their favorite sports. We want to compare the popularity of rugby, soccer, and netball at each school. | School | Rugby | Soccer | Netball | | ------- | ----- | ------ | ------- | | School A | 40 | 60 | 20 | | School B | 25 | 50 | 45 | To create a compound bar graph: Draw the axes: The x-axis will represent the schools (School A and School B), and the y-axis will represent the number of learners.

Draw the bars: For each school, draw a single bar. The height of each bar will represent the total number of learners surveyed at that school. In School A, this bar should extend to 40 + 60 + 20 =

1

2

0. For School B, this bar should extend to 25 + 50 + 45 =

1

2

0. Divide the bars: Divide each bar into sections representing the number of learners who prefer each sport. For School A, the first section will represent Rugby (40), the second section will represent Soccer (60), and the final section will represent Netball (20). Use different colors or shading to distinguish between the sports. Do the same for School B (Rugby = 25, Soccer = 50, Netball = 45).

Label and Title: Clearly label the axes, the different sections of the bar, and provide a title for the graph, e.g., "Favorite Sports of Grade 7 Learners at School A and School B." 2.2 Dual Line Graphs A dual line graph is used to compare the trends of two different sets of data over the same period. Why use them? Useful for comparing trends of two separate but related data sets over time.

Example: Let's track the average monthly rainfall (in mm) for Cape Town and Durban over six months. | Month | Cape Town (mm) | Durban (mm) | | --------- | -------------- | ----------- | | January | 15 | 120 | | February | 20 | 110 | | March | 30 | 90 | | April | 50 | 70 | | May | 70 | 50 | | June | 80 | 30 | To create a dual line graph: Draw the axes: The x-axis will represent the months (January to June), and the y-axis will represent the rainfall (in mm).

Plot the points: Plot the rainfall for Cape Town for each month and connect the points with a line. Use a different color or line style (e.g., dashed line) for Durban's rainfall and connect those points.

Label and Title: Label the axes, include a legend to indicate which line represents which city, and give the graph a title, e.g., "Average Monthly Rainfall in Cape Town and Durban (Jan-Jun)." 2.3 Comparing Data Sets Often, we are presented with data in different formats (tables, pie charts, bar graphs, line graphs). To compare them effectively, we need to be able to extract key information and look for patterns and relationships.

Example: Imagine we have the following data: Table: Showing the percentage of households in three provinces (Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape) with access to piped water. | Province | Piped Water (%) | | --------------- | ---------------- | | Gauteng | 95 | | KwaZulu-Natal | 80 | | Western Cape | 98 | Pie Chart: Showing the distribution of jobs in South Africa across different sectors (Agriculture, Mining, Manufacturing, Services).

Bar Graph: Showing the number of tourists visiting South Africa from different countries (USA, UK, Germany, Australia). To compare these, ask yourself: What is the purpose of each representation? What is it trying to show? What are the key trends or patterns in each data set? (e.g., Western Cape has the highest access to piped water, the service sector employs the largest percentage of people, the UK and the USA provide the most tourists.) Can you draw any conclusions based on the comparison? For example, if you knew the population size of each province, you could calculate the number of households without piped water, and compare the actual number of affected people. 2.4 Experimental and Theoretical Probability Theoretical Probability: The probability of an event calculated mathematically, assuming all outcomes are equally likely.

It is calculated as: `P(event) = (Number of favorable outcomes) / (Total number of possible outcomes)` Experimental Probability: The probability of an event determined by performing an experiment and observing the results.

It is calculated as: `P(event) = (Number of times the event occurred) / (Total number of trials)`

Example: Theoretical: If you flip a fair coin, the theoretical probability of getting heads is 1/2 (because there's one favorable outcome – heads – and two possible outcomes – heads or tails).