Ma4 Handling data

Sorting 2-D shapes

Teacher's notes

• On the interactive whiteboard, sorts a selection of given shapes.
• Chooses her own criteria, '3 corners' and '4 corners'.
• Explains how she sorts the shapes.
• Demonstrates the criteria by counting corners accurately.

Sorting 'people'

Download formats:
sf_asf_ma_babigail_sorting.mov (4.7 MB) sf_asf_ma_babigail_sorting.wmv (4.6 MB)

Teacher's notes

• Typically chooses colours as her criteria.
• Responds to teacher's question by explaining that she wants to 'make all different colour groups'.
• Sorts 'people' into four sub-sets by colour.
• Knows convention of sorting groups into set 'rings'.

Next steps

• After sorting by colour, choose a different way to sort the same collection.
• Use one criterion to sort objects, e.g. 'flies'/'does not fly'.

How old are you?

Teacher's notes

• Chooses to investigate how old children are.
• Uses a prepared grid for her sample of children to record their names.
• Ticks in appropriate column 'age 5'/'age 6'.
• With support, uses an appropriate data-handling program on the computer and selects the option for sorting by age.
• Chooses a block graph to represent her data.
• Interprets the graph by comparing the heights of the columns and knows there are more five-year-olds than six-year-olds.

Next steps

• Count blocks accurately to respond to questions such as, 'How many children are aged five?'.
• With support, begin to compare columns to find 'how many more…?'.

What the teacher knows about Babigail’s attainment in Ma4, Handling data

Babigail sorts collections of objects using different criteria but most commonly by colour as she shows when making sub-sets of plastic 'people'. However, when she sorts 2-D shapes that match in colour, she chooses to sort them by the number of corners. Babigail understands the convention of enclosing collections of objects in sorting 'rings'. In role-play, she sorts 1p, 2p and 5p coins mostly accurately by size and colour rather than value. Babigail understands the convention of enclosing collections of objects in sorting 'rings'.

Using a prepared table, she can enter simple data. For example, she asks children to write their names then finds out whether they are aged five or aged six, placing a tick in the appropriate column for each child. With support, she uses a computer to enter this information on a data-handling program and produces a two-column block graph. By comparing the height of the columns, rather than by counting, she knows that there are more children aged five than aged six. She interprets simple lists that are mainly pictorial. For example, in role-play, she extracts prices of objects up to 10p from a shopping list of pictures and prices and applies this information to work out costs.

Summarising Babigail’s attainment in Ma4, Handling data

Babigail meets the assessment criteria for both assessment focuses in Handling data. Reading the level description confirms the judgement as level 1. Babigail is fairly consistent in sorting accurately but uses a narrow range of criteria. Her teacher refines the judgement to low level 1.

To make further progress in level 1, Babigail needs to sort a range of materials using an increasing range of criteria. She should sort a collection using one criterion and then re-sort it using a different criterion, recognising different attributes. Using one criterion such as 'triangles' she should begin to use 'not triangles' to describe the rest of the shapes. With support, Babigail uses simple criteria to classify children, for example by age. She should also begin to describe how many are in a set as well as which set has more.