Mathematics 5 curriculum guide 2015 I table of contents acknowledgements

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MATHEMATICS 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2015
Specific Outcomes
DATA RELATIONSHIPS
Suggestions for Teaching and Learning
Students will be expected to:
Statistics and Probability
5SP2.5 Solve a given problem 
by constructing and interpreting a 
double bar graph.
“The value of having students actually construct their own graphs 
is not so much that they learn the techniques, but that they are 
personally invested in the data and that they learn how a graph conveys 
information. Once a graph is constructed, the most important activity 
is discussing what it communicates to others who were not involved 
in making the graph. Discussions about real data that students have 
themselves been involved in gathering and graphing will help them 
interpret other graphs and charts that they see in newspapers and on 
TV.” ( Van de Walle and Lovin 2006, p. 329) 
Brainstorm with students possible questions to use to collect data that 
could be appropriately displayed on a double bar graph. Suggestions 
might include: 
• Does the intersection near the school have more traffic in the 
morning or at lunch time?
• Is cheese or pepperoni pizza ordered more frequently on pizza day?
Students should select one of their questions, decide whether to use
first- or second-hand data, collect data, construct and interpret a double 
bar graph to answer their question.
5SP2.4 Represent a given set of 
data by creating a double bar 
graph, labelling the title and axes, 
and creating a legend, without 
the use of technology.
Model the construction of a double bar graph before students work 
independently to construct their own. At beginning stages, students 
could use grid paper to construct bar graphs to ensure that the 
alignment and scale of the bars are correct.
Knowing your students is key to suggesting/modelling graphs which are 
meaningful to your students. Hockey, soccer, baseball or football scores 
may connect some students’ outside interests to mathematics. Book 
sales of the latest popular children’s author may appeal to others. Still 
more students may be interested in music downloads or video game 
information. Allowing students to explore these areas of interest while 
learning to display the data they collect in a double bar graph makes the 
experience more authentic and may boost the task committment to what 
can sometimes be a lengthy process.
Students should share their graphs with a partner and discuss such 
questions as:
• How are your graphs different? 
• What conclusions did you draw?
• How might your conclusions have changed if you had surveyed twice 
as many adults as students?