Teacher Cheat Sheet — Session 2: Questions We Can Count

Data Science for Young Minds · Grade 2 · Ages 7–8

~50 min Ages 7–8 Session 2 of 8 ND-Friendly

Session Agenda

Time	Block	What's Happening
0–5	Hook	Read two questions aloud: "Do you like school?" vs. "How many students walk to school?" Which can we count?
5–15	Lesson	Countable vs. un-countable questions. What makes a good survey question. Answer choices.
15–32	Activity	Question Sort — 12 cards, sort into "we can count this" vs. "we can't count this."
32–40	Compare	Pairs share their sorts. Discuss cards that were tricky to place.
40–47	Worksheet	Students record sort results and write their own countable question.
47–50	Brain Break + Close	Thumbs up/down brain break. Preview Session 3: actually running a survey!

Pacing note: Let students sort alone first (5 min) before comparing with a partner. The comparison conversation is where the real learning happens — protect that time.

Materials Needed

Prepare before class:

12 question cards (print and cut — 1 set per pair) 2 label cards: "We CAN count this" / "We CAN'T count this" Pencils Worksheets (1 per student) Flat desk space or sorting mat for cards

Print the 12 cards on cardstock if possible — they'll hold up better for sorting and can be reused.

Key Vocabulary

Data question — a question whose answer is a number or a count

Answer choice — one of the options people can pick when answering a survey question

Closed question — a question with set answer choices (not open-ended)

Count — find out how many by going through one by one

Discussion Questions + Teacher Notes

"What's the difference between 'Do you like school?' and 'How do you get to school?'"
→ First is vague and hard to count. Second has clear answers (walk, bus, car, bike) that we CAN count. Guide students to see: countable answers = data.
"Why do we need answer choices for a survey question?"
→ So everyone uses the same options — which makes counting fair. If one person says "automobile" and another says "car," they mean the same thing but look different in our data. Answer choices prevent confusion.
"What would happen if everyone gave a different kind of answer?"
→ We couldn't count or compare. Imagine 20 different answers to "what's your favorite food" — impossible to summarize! Closed questions with set choices make data usable.
"Can a feeling ever be data?"
→ Sometimes! "How happy are you today? 1=not happy, 5=very happy" turns a feeling into a number. The trick is giving people choices that turn a feeling into something we can count. This is what surveys do.
"Is 'What is your name?' a data question?"
→ Tricky! Names are information but they don't give us countable data unless we're counting how many students have the same name. It depends on the purpose. Good discussion starter about what "data" means in context.

Question Sort — Setup + Answer Key

Print and cut the 12 cards below. One set per pair. Students place each card under the correct header. Allow 5 min solo, then 5 min partner comparison.

The 12 Question Cards:

How many pets do you have?

What do you think about school?

What is your favorite season?

How do you feel about math?

How do you get to school?

What is the best movie ever?

Do you have a brother or sister?

Why do you like recess?

What is your favorite lunch food?

What makes a good friend?

How many books did you read last month?

What do you love about summer?

Tricky cards to discuss: "Do you have a brother or sister?" — yes/no is countable. "What do you love about summer?" — open-ended, many possible answers, not easily counted.

Opening Hook

Write on board: "Do you like school?" and "How do you get to school?"

Ask: "Which one could we answer with a number? Which one is hard to count?"

Take 4–5 responses. Don't reveal the answer yet — let the lesson unfold.

→ The contrast is the whole lesson. Return to these two questions at the end to check understanding.

Brain Break

Thumbs Up / Thumbs Down Sort!
Teacher reads a question. Students show thumbs up if it's countable, thumbs down if it's not.

Questions to use:
• "What is your favorite color?"
• "Why is the sky pretty?"
• "How many siblings do you have?"
• "What do you dream about?"

Tip: Do this standing — it gets energy up before the worksheet.

ND-Friendly Tips

Physical cards = lower cognitive load — Moving cards is easier than writing answers. Students can change their mind by moving a card, not erasing.
Sort alone first — Give 5 minutes of individual sort time before partners compare. This prevents one student from dominating and gives processing time.
Label the two piles clearly— Write "CAN count" and "CAN'T count" in big letters on the sorting headers. Visual anchors reduce confusion.
Tricky cards are okay — Tell students explicitly: "Some cards are tricky and experts disagree. That's okay — we'll talk about why."
Write your own question scaffold — On the worksheet, offer the starter: "How many ___?" or "What is your favorite ___?" so students don't start from nothing.