Session 5 Family Guide

Data Science for Young Minds — Tips for families facilitating Session 5: Pictures That Tell Stories

Overview

Build bar charts, pictographs, and dot plots — by hand first. Learn that a good graph tells a story at a glance.

Facilitating Each Lesson

Lesson 1: Building Bar Charts

Tip: Learn what bar charts are, when to use them, and build one by hand with your real survey data. Take time to let your child explore and share their thoughts.

Try asking: "What do you think about what a bar chart is: bars showing amounts for each category?"

Lesson 2: Making Pictographs

Tip: Create pictographs where pictures represent data. Learn why a clear key is essential. Take time to let your child explore and share their thoughts.

Try asking: "What do you think about what a pictograph is: using pictures to show amounts?"

Lesson 3: Dot Plots and Line Plots

Tip: Learn to create dot plots that show how data is distributed along a number line. Take time to let your child explore and share their thoughts.

Try asking: "What do you think about what a dot plot is: dots stacked above a number line?"

Lesson 4: Choosing the Right Graph

Tip: Different data needs different graphs. Learn to pick the one that tells your story best. Take time to let your child explore and share their thoughts.

Try asking: "What do you think about bar charts for comparing categories?"

Conversation Starters

"What did you learn about what a bar chart is: bars showing amounts for each category?"
"What did you learn about what a pictograph is: using pictures to show amounts?"
"What did you learn about what a dot plot is: dots stacked above a number line?"
"What did you learn about bar charts for comparing categories?"