📋 Teacher Cheat Sheet — Session 4: Yes or No Questions

Data Science for Young Minds · Grade 1 · Ages 6–7
~45 min Ages 6–7 Session 4 of 8 ND-Friendly
⏱ Session Agenda
TimeBlockWhat's Happening
0–5🎯 HookTeacher asks: "Raise your hand if you like pizza." Count the hands. "We just collected data!"
5–13📖 TeachWhat is a survey? Yes/no questions. Show signal cards. Demonstrate recording a check mark on large paper chart.
13–30🎮 Activity5 yes/no survey questions. For each: teacher asks, students respond with signal cards or hands, teacher records check marks on large paper chart in front of class.
30–35🐘 Brain Break"Stomp like an elephant for YES, hop like a bunny for NO!" Teacher asks a silly question — students move.
35–41✍️ WorkWorksheet: copy the check marks from the class chart, write the totals.
41–43🔁 Recap"Which question had the most YES answers? How do you know?"
43–45👋 ClosePreview: "Next time we will put our answers in a sticker graph — one sticker for each person!"
Key pacing note: Demonstrate the ENTIRE recording process before asking question 1. Hold up the chart, mark a check for YES, mark a check for NO — show where each goes. Students need to see the physical recording act before they trust it. Keep the chart large and visible all session.
📦 Materials Needed
Prepare before class:
Large chart paper (1 sheet with pre-drawn YES/NO columns — see setup below) Marker (thick, dark) YES card and NO card per student (green/red index cards, or pre-made) Student worksheets Pencils
💡 Chart setup: Draw 2 columns labeled YES ✅ and NO ❌. Leave 8–10 rows for check marks. Tape it to the board before class. Pre-label the 5 question rows with a short phrase (e.g., "like dogs?", "have a pet?").
📚 Key Vocabulary
Question — something we ask to find out information
Answer — what we say back to a question
Yes / No — the two possible answers in our survey today
Survey — when we ask the same question to many people and record all the answers
Vote — when each person gives their one answer
💬 Discussion Questions + Teacher Notes
  • "Why do we ask the SAME question to every person?"
    → So we can compare! If some people get asked "do you have a dog?" and others get asked "what pet do you have?" we can't compare the answers. Same question = fair comparison. Keep this simple: "the same question means we can count and compare."
  • "What if someone doesn't want to answer?"
    → That is always okay. We never force an answer. You can say "pass" or not hold up your card. Reinforce this gently — it models real survey ethics and removes pressure from students who may be shy or anxious.
  • "Can a question have more than YES or NO as the answer?"
    → Yes! But today we are only doing yes/no because it's the simplest kind. In Session 5 we will see what happens when people choose from more options (favorite animal, color, etc.). Today: just two choices.
  • "How is a survey different from just asking your friend?"
    → A survey asks MANY people and RECORDS all the answers. Asking one friend gives you one answer. A survey gives you data about a whole group. This is the core idea of Session 4.
  • "After we collect all the YES and NO answers, what can we do with them?"
    → Count them! Compare them! Make a chart! This previews Sessions 5–7. Let students suggest ideas — they often naturally say "we could make a picture" which is exactly what Session 5 is.
🎮 5 Survey Questions — Ready to Use
Ask all 5 questions. For each: hold up the question card/slide, students show YES or NO cards (or hands), teacher marks check marks on the large chart. Count aloud after each question.
1. "Do you have a pet at home?" ✅ / ❌
2. "Do you like rainy days?" ✅ / ❌
3. "Do you eat breakfast every morning?" ✅ / ❌
4. "Do you like to draw?" ✅ / ❌
5. "Did you read a book this week?" ✅ / ❌
Signal card tip: Hold up YOUR yes or no card first to model before asking students to hold theirs. Say "I would answer YES because…" — normalizes sharing.
🎯 Opening Hook
"Raise your hand if you like pizza." Count hands out loud. Write the number on the board.
"That number — that's DATA. We just collected data about our class!"
→ The simplicity of the hook makes the concept click. Data isn't scary — it's just counting answers.
🐘 Brain Break
"Stomp or Hop!" (~30 min)
Teacher asks a silly yes/no question. YES = stomp like an elephant 🐘. NO = hop like a bunny 🐰.
Examples: "Do you have 3 eyes?" "Is the sky purple?" Makes the yes/no concept joyful. 60 seconds.
🧠 ND-Friendly Tips
  • Signal cards — YES/NO cards are a lifeline for students who dislike hand-raising or public commitment. Holding a card is less exposing than a raised hand.
  • No pressure to share — Make it explicit: "You can hold your card down if you'd prefer not to answer. That is always okay." Say this before every question.
  • Predictable format — Use the same sequence for every question: ask → wait → cards → count → record. Repeat the exact same steps each time.
  • Visual chart — The large paper chart stays visible all session. Students who need to reference it can look up anytime.
  • Worksheet — Students copy from the class chart, not from memory. Reduce cognitive load — looking at the chart is the correct strategy.
Data Science for Young Minds · Grade 1 · Session 4 Cheat Sheet · sdabagh.github.io/learn/data-science