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Primary Science · Year 4Chapter 1 · Working scientifically revisited
Year 4 Science · Working scientifically revisited · Lesson 1.4

Year 4 Science: Recording and presenting results

Part of the Year 4 Science working scientifically revisited chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page

1.4

Recording and presenting results

Year 4
WS: gather, record, classify and present data in a variety of ways to help in answering questions
Story. Leo and his class collect leaves in the playground, and sort them by type. “How do we show all these leaves so that everyone can understand them?” asks Ms Chen. Leo says, “A table, and then a bar chart.”

A table records results in rows and columns. Every table needs a title and clear headings for each column. Use a table to write down the counts before you draw a chart.

A bar chart shows the counts as bars. It needs a title, a label under each bar, and a scale along one side that shows the numbers. The taller the bar, the bigger the count.

The class counted the leaves they found. Here is the table.

Type of leafNumber counted
Sycamore7
Oak5
Birch3
Horse chestnut6
Total21
02468number of leaves counted7Sycamore5Oak3Birch6Horse chestnut
A bar chart of the leaves counted. The scale on the left shows the number of leaves.

Key ideas

  • A table has a title and clear headings for each column.
  • A bar chart has a title, labels under each bar and a scale.
  • To classify means to sort things into groups.
  • Add the counts in a table to find the total.
Worked example 1.4.1
Look at the table in section 1.4. How many sycamore leaves were counted? Write the number.

Method. Find the row for sycamore.

  1. Find the row. The row for sycamore says 7.
    sycamore: 7
  2. Read the number. So the class counted seven sycamore leaves.
    7
  3. Write the answer.
    7

Check. Sycamore has the largest count, 7, and the tallest bar on the chart. ✓

Watch out. Read the number in the column, not the name of the leaf.

Worked example 1.4.2
Look at the table in section 1.4. Add the counts for all four types of leaf. What is the total? Write the number.

Method. Add the four counts.

  1. Add them in pairs. Seven plus five is 12, and three plus six is 9.
    7 + 5 = 12, 3 + 6 = 9
  2. Add the two totals. Twelve plus nine is 21.
    12 + 9 = 21
  3. Write the answer.
    21

Check. The total in the table is 21. ✓

Worked example 1.4.3
Look at the bar chart in section 1.4. Which leaf has the shortest bar? Write the name.

Method. Find the shortest bar.

  1. Look at the bars. The shortest bar is the one with the smallest count, which is 3.
    smallest count
  2. Read the label. The label under the shortest bar is Birch.
    Birch
  3. Write the answer.
    Birch

Check. The count for birch is 3, the smallest in the table. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: a bar chart without a scale does not tell you the numbers. Always check the numbers on the scale before you read a bar.

Try it at home or school (with a grown-up). Collect five different leaves from a garden or park, with a grown-up. Sort them into groups by type, or by size. Count each group, and write the counts in a table with a title. Wash your hands after you touch the leaves.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask: “What is the title of your table? What does each column show?” Let your child find the total by adding the counts, and check it.

Exercise 1D  Recording and presenting results

1
FLook at the table in section 1.4. How many oak leaves were counted? Write the number.
2
FLook at the table in section 1.4. Which type of leaf was counted the fewest times? Write the name.
3
FLook at the table in section 1.4. Add all the counts. What is the total? Write the number.
4
FLook at the table in section 1.4. Which type of leaf has a count of 5? Write the name.
5
FHow many types of leaf are in the table? Write the number.
6
FA bar chart shows the numbers on one side, to help you read each bar. What is this called? Write the word.
7
FLook at the bar chart in section 1.4. Which leaf has the tallest bar? Write the name.
8
FIs the count for horse chestnut more or fewer than the count for birch? Write more or fewer.
9
PSHow many more sycamore leaves than birch leaves were counted? Write the number.
10
PSAli says: “The table shows more oak leaves than sycamore leaves.” Is Ali right? Write yes or no.
11
FWrite the word for the top row of a table that tells the reader what each column shows.
12
RExplain why it is useful to write results in a table before drawing a bar chart. Write one sentence.

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