Class 3 — Mathematics
Data Handling: Pictographs and Tally Marks
Class 3
- ✓By the end of this lesson students will be able to understand what data is and why it is collected.
- ✓By the end of this lesson students will be able to read and interpret simple pictographs.
- ✓By the end of this lesson students will be able to represent data using tally marks.
- ✓By the end of this lesson students will be able to answer questions based on data presented in pictographs and tally marks.
Key concepts
Data Handling means collecting, organising, and presenting information in a way that is easy to understand. It helps us to make sense of large amounts of information quickly.
Data is a collection of facts or information, like numbers, names, or things. For example, the number of students who like apples, or the number of cars in a parking lot.
A pictograph is a way of showing data using pictures or symbols. Each picture stands for a certain number of items. It has a 'key' or 'legend' that tells us what each picture represents.
Tally marks are a simple way to count and record data. We use vertical lines ( | ) for each item. For every fifth item, we draw a diagonal line across the previous four lines ( |||| ). This bundle of five makes counting easier.
Key facts to remember
- 1Data is information collected about something.
- 2Data handling helps us organise and understand information.
- 3A pictograph uses pictures to show data.
- 4Every pictograph must have a 'key' to explain what each picture means.
- 5Tally marks are vertical lines used for counting.
- 6The fifth tally mark is drawn diagonally across the previous four (||||) to form a group of five.
- 7Tally marks make counting large numbers easier.
Worked examples
Example 1
The following pictograph shows the number of fruits eaten by students in a week.\nKey: Each 🍎 represents 2 fruits.\nMonday: 🍎🍎🍎\nTuesday: 🍎🍎\nWednesday: 🍎🍎🍎🍎\nThursday: 🍎\nFriday: 🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎\nHow many fruits were eaten on Wednesday?
Answer
8 fruits were eaten on Wednesday.
Always check the key to know what each picture stands for.
Example 2
A teacher asked students about their favourite colours. Here are their responses:\nRed, Blue, Green, Red, Yellow, Blue, Red, Green, Blue, Red\nRepresent this data using tally marks.
Answer
Red: ||||\nBlue: |||\nGreen: ||\nYellow: |
Remember to group every 5th tally mark diagonally for easy counting.
Example 3
The tally marks below show the number of different types of flowers in a garden:\nRose: ||||\nLily: |||\nSunflower: |||| |\nJasmine: ||\n(a) How many Sunflowers are there?\n(b) Which flower is the least in number?
Answer
(a) There are 6 Sunflowers.\n(b) Jasmine is the least in number.
The diagonal line in tally marks always represents the 5th item, making it easy to count in groups of five.
Common mistakes
- ✗Not checking the 'key' in a pictograph, leading to incorrect counts.
- ✗Forgetting to draw the diagonal line for the fifth tally mark, making counting difficult.
- ✗Miscounting tally marks, especially when there are many.
- ✗Confusing the number of pictures with the actual count if the key value is more than 1.
Exam tips
- ★Always read the question carefully, especially the 'key' in pictographs.
- ★When making tally marks, count each item one by one and mark it off to avoid missing any.
- ★Double-check your counts for both pictographs and tally marks before writing the final answer.
- ★Organise your data neatly, whether it is drawing tally marks or interpreting a pictograph, to prevent errors.
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