Year 3 Science: Surveying our food
Part of the Year 3 Science food and nutrition chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Surveying our food
A survey counts things to find out what is true for a group. Scientists record their results in a table, and then show them on a bar chart.
The class counted each item once, in the column for its food group. Foods that are high in fat, sugar or salt are counted in their own column, because they are not in a food group.
| Child | Fruit and vegetables | Starchy foods | Protein foods | Dairy foods | Oils and spreads | High in fat, sugar or salt | Total items |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noah | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Priya | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Ali | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Ruby | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Mo | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| All five | 9 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 29 |
Key ideas
- A survey counts each item once, in the group where it belongs.
- A table records the counts, and a bar chart shows them.
- Add up each column to check the totals.
- A survey of five lunchboxes shows only what was in those boxes.
| Child | Fruit and vegetables | Starchy foods | Protein foods | Dairy foods | Oils and spreads | High in fat, sugar or salt | Total items |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noah | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Priya | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Ali | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Ruby | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Mo | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| All five | 9 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 29 |
Method. Find Priya in the table.
- Read the row. Priya's row says 3 in the fruit and vegetables column.row: 3
- Name the number. So there were 3 fruit and vegetables items.3
- Write the answer. 3
Check. Priya had 3 fruit and vegetables items. ✓
| Child | Fruit and vegetables | Starchy foods | Protein foods | Dairy foods | Oils and spreads | High in fat, sugar or salt | Total items |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noah | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Priya | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Ali | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Ruby | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Mo | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| All five | 9 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 29 |
Method. Find the biggest total in the All five row.
- Read the totals. The totals are 9, 6, 5, 3 and 2, and 4 for high in fat, sugar or salt.9, 6, 5, 3, 2, 4
- Choose the biggest. 9 is the biggest total, and it is for fruit and vegetables.9 is biggest
- Write the answer. fruit and vegetables
Check. Fruit and vegetables had 9 items in all. ✓
| Child | Fruit and vegetables | Starchy foods | Protein foods | Dairy foods | Oils and spreads | High in fat, sugar or salt | Total items |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noah | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Priya | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Ali | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Ruby | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Mo | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| All five | 9 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 29 |
Method. Take the smaller total away from the bigger total.
- Read the two totals. Starchy foods had 6 items, and dairy foods had 3 items.6 and 3
- Subtract. The difference is how many more starchy food items there were.6 − 3 = 3
- Write the answer. 3
Check. 3 + 3 = 6, so the answer is right. ✓
Watch out
Watch out: a survey tells you about the things you counted. Five lunchboxes do not show what every child eats.
Try it at home or school (with a grown-up). With a grown-up, look at one lunchbox or snack box from home. Put each food into a group, and count the items in a tally chart. Only look at foods you already eat. Wash your hands before and after.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Ask: “Which group had the most items? Is there a group with none?” Let your child count each group, and check the total at the end.
Exercise 5F Surveying our food
| Child | Fruit and vegetables | Starchy foods | Protein foods | Dairy foods | Oils and spreads | High in fat, sugar or salt | Total items |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noah | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Priya | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Ali | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Ruby | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Mo | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| All five | 9 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 29 |
Method. Find Ruby's row in the table.
- Read the row. Ruby's row says 2 in the fruit and vegetables column.2
- Write the answer. 2
Check. Ruby had 2 fruit and vegetables items. ✓
| Child | Fruit and vegetables | Starchy foods | Protein foods | Dairy foods | Oils and spreads | High in fat, sugar or salt | Total items |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noah | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Priya | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Ali | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Ruby | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Mo | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| All five | 9 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 29 |
Method. Look at the dairy foods column for a zero.
- Find the zeros. Ali and Ruby have a 0 in the dairy foods column.Ali and Ruby
- Count them. So two lunchboxes had no dairy foods.2
- Write the answer. 2
Check. Ali and Ruby had no dairy foods. ✓
| Child | Fruit and vegetables | Starchy foods | Protein foods | Dairy foods | Oils and spreads | High in fat, sugar or salt | Total items |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noah | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Priya | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Ali | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Ruby | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Mo | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| All five | 9 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 29 |
Method. Read the All five row.
- Read the total. The All five row says 5 in the protein foods column.5
- Write the answer. 5
Check. 5 protein food items in all. ✓
| Child | Fruit and vegetables | Starchy foods | Protein foods | Dairy foods | Oils and spreads | High in fat, sugar or salt | Total items |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noah | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Priya | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Ali | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Ruby | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Mo | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| All five | 9 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 29 |
Method. Add the six column totals together.
- Read the totals. The totals are 9, 6, 5, 3, 2 and 4.9, 6, 5, 3, 2, 4
- Add them. The total is all the items in the five boxes.9 + 6 + 5 + 3 + 2 + 4 = 29
- Write the answer. 29
Check. The Total items column adds to the same number. ✓
| Child | Fruit and vegetables | Starchy foods | Protein foods | Dairy foods | Oils and spreads | High in fat, sugar or salt | Total items |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noah | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Priya | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Ali | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Ruby | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Mo | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| All five | 9 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 29 |
Method. Find the biggest number in the fruit and vegetables column.
- Read the column. The numbers are 2, 3, 1, 2 and 1.3 is biggest
- Name the child. The 3 is in Priya's row, so Priya had the most.Priya
- Write the answer. Priya
Check. Priya had 3 fruit and vegetables items. ✓
| Child | Fruit and vegetables | Starchy foods | Protein foods | Dairy foods | Oils and spreads | High in fat, sugar or salt | Total items |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noah | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Priya | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Ali | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Ruby | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Mo | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| All five | 9 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 29 |
Method. Find the smallest total in the All five row, for the five food groups.
- Read the totals. The food group totals are 9, 6, 5, 3 and 2.2 is smallest
- Name the group. The smallest total, 2, is for oils and spreads.oils and spreads
- Write the answer. oils and spreads
Check. Oils and spreads had 2 items. ✓
Method. Find the dairy foods bar, and read its height.
- Find the bar. The dairy foods bar is the fourth bar.fourth bar
- Read the number. The label on the dairy foods bar says 3.3
- Write the answer. 3
Check. The dairy foods column in the table also says 3. ✓
| Child | Fruit and vegetables | Starchy foods | Protein foods | Dairy foods | Oils and spreads | High in fat, sugar or salt | Total items |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noah | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Priya | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Ali | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Ruby | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Mo | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| All five | 9 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 29 |
Method. Take the protein total away from the fruit and vegetables total.
- Read the two totals. Fruit and vegetables had 9 items, and protein foods had 5.9 and 5
- Subtract. The difference is how many more fruit and vegetables items there were.9 − 5 = 4
- Write the answer. 4
Check. 5 + 4 = 9, so the answer is right. ✓
| Child | Fruit and vegetables | Starchy foods | Protein foods | Dairy foods | Oils and spreads | High in fat, sugar or salt | Total items |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noah | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Priya | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Ali | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Ruby | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Mo | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| All five | 9 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 29 |
Method. Check the starchy foods column for a zero.
- Read the column. The starchy foods numbers are 1, 1, 2, 1 and 1.no zeros
- Decide. There is no zero, so every box had at least one starchy food. Ali is right.yes
- Write the answer. yes
Check. Each starchy foods number is 1 or more. ✓
| Child | Fruit and vegetables | Starchy foods | Protein foods | Dairy foods | Oils and spreads | High in fat, sugar or salt | Total items |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noah | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Priya | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Ali | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Ruby | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Mo | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| All five | 9 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 29 |
Method. Add the Total items column, or the six column totals.
- Add the box totals. The box totals are 6, 6, 6, 5 and 6.6, 6, 6, 5, 6
- Add them together. The total is 29 items, not 25.6 + 6 + 6 + 5 + 6 = 29
- Write the answer. No. The total is 29.
Check. 29 is the total of the five boxes. ✓
| Child | Fruit and vegetables | Starchy foods | Protein foods | Dairy foods | Oils and spreads | High in fat, sugar or salt | Total items |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noah | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Priya | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Ali | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Ruby | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Mo | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| All five | 9 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 29 |
Method. Think about how many lunchboxes were counted, and what they show.
- Think about the survey. Only five lunchboxes were counted.five boxes
- Give the reason. A survey of five boxes only shows what was in those boxes, not what every child needs.only these boxes
- Write the answer. No. Accept any reason that says five lunchboxes is a small survey, and it only shows what was in these boxes.
Check. A conclusion must match what was counted. ✓