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Session 6: Trends & Patterns Over Time

Grade 4 Data Science · Reading & Building Line Graphs

Vocabulary — Fill in the Definitions
Line Graph
Trend
Interpolation
Extrapolation

1 Graph 1: Monthly Temperatures — Read & Analyze

Use the data below to answer the questions.

Month JanFebMarApr MayJunJulAug SepOctNovDec
Temp (°F) 32354555 65758280 70584434

① What is the overall trend from January to July?

⬆ Increasing ⬇ Decreasing ➡ Steady

Circle the trend above, then explain in one sentence:

② What is the overall trend from July to December?

⬆ Increasing ⬇ Decreasing ➡ Steady

③ What is the highest temperature, and in which month does it occur?

④ What is the temperature difference between the warmest and coldest months?

_____ °F − _____ °F = _____ °F
🔵 Interpolation — Fill in the Gap

The data shows Apr = 55°F and Jun = 75°F. Estimate what May's temperature might be if May was missing from the table. Explain your reasoning.

My estimate for May: _____ °F

2 Graph 2: Books Read Each Week — Build Your Graph

Plot the data below on the line graph. Connect the points with a ruler.

Week 1234 5678
Books Read 2335 4677
Books Read Per Week
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Books Read Wk 1 Wk 2 Wk 3 Wk 4 Wk 5 Wk 6 Wk 7 Wk 8 Week ▶ Plot each value and connect the dots with your ruler

① Describe the overall trend for books read over the 8 weeks.

⬆ Increasing ⬇ Decreasing ➡ Steady

② Which week shows a dip (decrease) compared to the week before? Why might that happen?

③ How many total books were read across all 8 weeks?

Show your addition: _____ + _____ + _____ + _____ + _____ + _____ + _____ + _____ = _____ books

3 Predict & Estimate — Interpolation vs. Extrapolation

🔵 Interpolation (filling a gap inside the data)

Imagine Week 4 was missing from the books data. Using Week 3 (3 books) and Week 5 (4 books), estimate what Week 4 might have been.

My interpolation estimate for Week 4: _____ books

My reasoning:

🟢 Extrapolation (predicting beyond the data)

The data ends at Week 8 (7 books). If the trend continues, predict how many books might be read in Week 10.

My extrapolation prediction for Week 10: _____ books

My reasoning (what pattern did you use?):

🤔 Think About It: Which prediction are you MORE confident in — your Week 4 interpolation or your Week 10 extrapolation? Explain why.

4 Compare the Two Graphs

Both the temperature graph and the books graph show trends. Use the sentence frames to compare them.

📊 Graph 1 — Monthly Temperature

The highest value is _____ in _____.

The lowest value is _____ in _____.

The overall shape is:

📚 Graph 2 — Books Read

The highest value is _____ in Week _____.

The lowest value is _____ in Week _____.

The overall shape is:

One way the two graphs are similar:

One way the two graphs are different:

🏠 Take-Home Challenge

Track something in your life for 7 days — steps walked, minutes of reading, or glasses of water. Record your data here:

Day 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Amount

What I tracked:  

What trend do I notice?