Collect and Organize Data
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What you will learn
- 1Record data using tally marks
- 2Read and interpret a completed tally chart
Mini Lesson
Data is information we collect by counting or measuring. One simple way to record data is with tally marks. Each tally mark represents one item. When we reach five, we draw a diagonal line across four vertical marks — this makes groups of 5 easy to count.
How to Draw Tally Marks
- Draw one vertical line for each item: | = 1, || = 2, ||| = 3, |||| = 4.
- For the fifth item, draw a diagonal line crossing the four vertical lines: |||| (crossed) = 5.
- Start a new group of 5 for the next item.
- Count total tallies by multiplying complete groups of 5 and adding any remaining marks.
Reading a Tally Chart
- A tally chart is a table with columns: Category | Tally | Total.
- Count each group of 5 marks as 5, then add remaining marks.
- Apple: a crossed group of 5 and || = 5 + 2 = 7. Banana: |||| = 4. Orange: a crossed group of 5 and | = 5 + 1 = 6.
- Compare totals to find which category has the most or least.
Words to know
Data
Information collected from people, things, or events
e.g. We collected data on favorite fruits.
Collect
To gather information for a question
e.g. We collect data with a survey.
Organize
To put data in order so it is easy to read
e.g. I organized the data in a table.
Survey
A set of questions asked to many people
e.g. Our family did a survey about favorite books.
Tally mark
A short line used to count items quickly
e.g. I drew tally marks to count votes.
Table
A grid that shows data in rows and columns
e.g. Our table shows fruit names and counts.
Group your tally marks in sets of 5. It is much faster to count five-bundles than to count individual marks one by one.
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