Resource 2: collecting and displaying data

This resource is for Years 3–4, Topic 6 – Improving my community, activity titled Introduction – vote with your feet.

Along with this accessible version, which you can either print or use online, we also have the same resource available as a PDF – Resource 2: collecting and displaying data (PDF, 71KB)External Link.

Government services in your community

Complete the following tasks to help decide what government services should be provided in your community. Submit all tasks to the teacher when you have finished.

1. Design a survey to find out as much as you can about the most popular government services in your class or school. Consider finding out about the most popular choices according to:  
   • gender
   • age (year level)
   • hobbies.
    
2. Conduct your survey either among your classmates or across the school.
3. Tally and record your results in a table.
4. Construct a graph to show student preferences for different services (include other categories, such as gender or age if you can, or draw more than one data display). Use ICT if possible.
5. Compare your graph/s with those of other students (at least 5) and describe their similarities and differences.
   Or
   Compare your different data displays – the table in Question 2 and the graphs in Question 4. How effective is each representation? Which is the most effective? Why?
6. What do your graphs tell you about student preferences? For example, does age or gender make a difference?
   Which were the most popular services for different age groups or genders?
7. If the council could only provide one of these services, which one should it choose? Why?
8. What might happen if the council listened to the most influential members of the community and selected the least popular service to provide?
9. Why should the council consider this consequence when making decisions?
10. Explain why it is important to make decisions democratically.

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• Introduction – vote with your feet