Lesson 3: Writing Conclusions

About 30 minutes — Activity-based lesson

What You Will Learn

This lesson covers:

The phrase 'the data shows...' and why it matters
Supporting conclusions with specific numbers
The difference between what data SHOWS and what you THINK
Activity: write 3 conclusion statements about your data project

The phrase 'the data shows...' and why it matters

This section covers the key ideas about the phrase 'the data shows...' and why it matters. Discuss with your group or family and explore the concepts together.

Supporting conclusions with specific numbers

This section covers the key ideas about supporting conclusions with specific numbers. Discuss with your group or family and explore the concepts together.

The difference between what data SHOWS and what you THINK

This section covers the key ideas about the difference between what data shows and what you think. Discuss with your group or family and explore the concepts together.

Activity: write 3 conclusion statements about your data project

This section covers the key ideas about activity: write 3 conclusion statements about your data project. Discuss with your group or family and explore the concepts together.

Check Your Understanding

1. Why should you start conclusions with 'the data shows...'?

Answer: Because it keeps you focused on facts, not opinions. 'The data shows that 12 out of 20 students prefer lunch A' is a fact. 'Lunch A is better' is an opinion.

2. How do you support a conclusion with evidence?

Answer: Include specific numbers from your data. Instead of 'most people like blue,' say 'the data shows that 8 out of 20 people chose blue, making it the most popular color.'

3. What is the difference between an observation and an inference?

Answer: An observation is what the data directly shows (8 chose blue). An inference is what you think it means (blue might be popular because the school walls are blue). Label them differently.

4. Can data support more than one conclusion?

Answer: Yes! The same data can lead to multiple valid observations. Different people might notice different patterns in the same dataset.

Key Takeaways

The phrase 'the data shows...' and why it matters
Supporting conclusions with specific numbers
The difference between what data SHOWS and what you THINK
Activity: write 3 conclusion statements about your data project

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