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

Time	Block	What's Happening
0–5	Hook	Teacher asks: "Raise your hand if you like pizza." Count the hands. "We just collected data!"
5–13	Teach	What is a survey? Yes/no questions. Show signal cards. Demonstrate recording a check mark on large paper chart.
13–30	Activity	5 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	Work	Worksheet: 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	Close	Preview: "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.