Tables, Graphs and Patterns: a skill companion
A small set of reusable sheets that grow one inquiry skill: choosing a representation that fits the data and the question, constructing graphs properly, and turning a pattern into a model or a mathematical relationship. Print the scaffolds once and slot them into the science lessons you already teach.
What a skill companion is
Inquiry skills are not a topic of their own. They grow inside the science units a class teaches all year, such as Classifying Living Things, Energy Flow in Ecosystems, Earth, Sun and Moon, Balanced and Unbalanced Forces, The Particle Model of Matter, and Pure Substances and Mixtures. So this pack is not a full term of lessons. It is three reusable scaffolds, a map of where they fit, and a short stand-alone lesson for teaching the skill on its own first.
Start here: five minutes
- Read the pairing map on the next page: it shows which scaffold fits which science lesson.
- Print the fix-the-graph sheet and the graph builder, one each per student, whenever a class has results to show.
- Cut out the cards once. They are reused all year, and the blank cards fit any topic.
- Open the free interactive unit on your board when you want a worked example of the skill.
- Run the one-page mini-lesson first if you want to teach the skill before folding it into a topic.
No science background needed
Each scaffold explains itself in plain words, and the answer sheet gives the mistakes in the graph, the axes for each investigation, the worked line of best fit, the card key and a quick three-level guide. The step up from Year 6 is construction and processing: students choose even scales themselves, put the independent variable along the bottom, draw a line of best fit instead of joining the dots, and describe the pattern as a relationship, such as about 4 cm of stretch for each 100 g.
Slot the skill into your science lessons
Every science unit produces data or information worth representing well. This map shows some in each Year 7 topic, the representation that suits it, and which scaffold to reach for. You do not run these as extra lessons; you fold them into the science you teach.
| When you teach | Data or information | Representation that suits it | Scaffold to slot in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classifying Living Things (AC9S7U01) | The invertebrates found in a leaf-litter sample | A tally table, then a bar chart of each kind; the key that named them is itself a model | The cards, then fix the graph |
| Energy Flow in Ecosystems (AC9S7U02) | Who eats whom in a bushland, and fox and rabbit numbers over ten years | A food web as a model of the feeding links; a line graph of both populations against the year | Graph builder |
| Earth, Sun and Moon (AC9S7U03) | Hours of daylight on the first day of each month | A line graph with the month along the bottom; a lamp-and-ball model for why it changes | Graph builder, then the cards |
| Balanced and Unbalanced Forces (AC9S7U04) | How far a spring stretches for each mass hung on it | A line graph with a line of best fit, and the relationship as a rule: about 4 cm for each 100 g | The mini-lesson, then the graph builder |
| The Particle Model of Matter (AC9S7U05) | The temperature of ice water every 30 seconds as the ice melts | A line graph against time, and particle diagrams as a model of each state | Graph builder |
| Pure Substances and Mixtures (AC9S7U06) | The salt left from 100 mL of tap water, sea water and river water | A bar chart, as the kinds of water are separate categories | Fix the graph, then the cards |
| Any science topic | Any results students collect | A table for exact values, a bar chart for categories, a line graph for one measured variable against another | The cards first |
The three moves, and the picture that backs each one
When you want a worked example on the board, open the interactive unit and use the picture that matches the move.
- Turn a table into the graph that shows its pattern, and choose a bar chart for categories: “Monthly rainfall in a temperate city” and “Compare four cities side by side”.
- Let a graph show the value that does not fit: “Read the graph: find the day that breaks the trend”.
- Read a graph honestly, without claiming more than it shows: “Test conclusions against the rainfall graph”.
How the scaffolds build the skill
The fix-the-graph sheet finds the mistakes in a badly drawn graph and decides which variable belongs on each axis. The graph builder plots measured results on axes the student scales, draws a line of best fit, and turns it into a relationship that predicts new values. The cards sort data sets by the representation that suits them: a bar chart, a line graph, or a table.
Find what is wrong with the graph
A good graph has a title, axes labelled with units, even scales, the variable that was changed along the bottom, and, for measured results that wobble, a line of best fit. Class 7E rolled a toy car down a ramp from five heights.
A. Find five mistakes
| Ramp height (cm) | Distance (cm) |
|---|---|
| 10 | 42 |
| 20 | 80 |
| 30 | 128 |
| 40 | 158 |
| 50 | 205 |
| Mistake | How to fix it | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||
| 2 | ||
| 3 | ||
| 4 | ||
| 5 |
B. Which variable goes on which axis?
| Investigation | Along the bottom | Up the side |
|---|---|---|
| How does the depth of water affect the time a toy boat takes to sink? | ||
| How does the time of day affect the length of a shadow? | ||
| How does the mass on a trolley affect how far it rolls? |
Teacher note: the variable that was changed goes along the bottom, and the one that was measured goes up the side.
Build the graph, then use it
A spring hung from a clamp, and masses were added 50 g at a time; each time, the stretch was measured. Graph the results, draw a line of best fit, and turn the line into a rule.
A. The results
| Mass (g) | 0 | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stretch (cm) | 0.0 | 2.1 | 3.9 | 6.0 | 8.1 | 9.9 |
B. Draw the graph
C. Use the line
Bar chart, line graph, or table?
Cut out the cards. Lay down the three grey heading cards, then sort the data cards under them by the representation that shows each one best. On a blank card, write some data from your own science lessons and sort it too.
Teacher note: four cards go in each pile. The answer sheet lists which is which, and why.
Stretch it, graph it, predict it
Use this stand-alone lesson to teach the skill on its own, before you fold it into a science topic. Groups hang washers on a rubber band and measure how long it gets, then graph their own results, draw a line of best fit and use it to predict.
We are learning to
- choose a line graph when one measured variable changes with another,
- construct a graph with a title, labelled axes, units and even scales,
- draw a line of best fit and use it to predict a new result.
Success criteria
- My graph has every item on the graph builder’s checklist.
- I can read a prediction from my line, and say how sure I am of it.
You need
- for each group: a thick rubber band, a paper clip bent into a hook, six identical metal washers, a ruler, and a hook or a pencil taped over a desk edge to hang it from,
- the graph builder (scaffold 2), one per student, and the cards from scaffold 3, one set per table.
Lesson flow (about 30 minutes)
| 5 min | Table or graph? Show the board (see the box). Ask: “Which shows the wettest months faster, the table or the graph? When would you still want the table?” |
| 10 min | Stretch and record Groups measure the band’s length with 0 to 5 washers on the hook, recording each in a table with the unit in the heading. Ask: “Which variable did you change, and which did you measure? Which goes along the bottom?” |
| 10 min | Graph it Each student graphs the group’s results on the blank grid of the graph builder, then draws a line of best fit. Ask: “Why draw one line through the middle of the points instead of joining them up?” |
| 5 min | Predict and test Read the length for 6 washers from the line, then hang the sixth washer and check. Ask: “How close was the prediction? Would you trust the line for 20 washers?” |
Running it shorter? Stop after the graph, and do the prediction and the cards in your next science lesson.
Watch for these ideas
- A scale that counts the data values instead of going up in equal steps.
- Joining every point dot to dot, so each small measuring wobble looks like a real change.
- Trusting the line far beyond the results: a rubber band stops stretching evenly, and can snap.
Make it easier, make it bigger
- Easier: number the axes for a student, and let them plot the points and draw the line.
- Bigger: graph the stretch (the length take away the starting length) instead, and compare its line with the spring’s.
Answers and look-fors
The next sheet has the five mistakes in Class 7E’s graph, the axes for each investigation, the worked spring graph and its rule, the card key and a quick three-level guide.
Answers and look-fors
Fix the graph: the five mistakes
| Mistake | How to fix it |
|---|---|
| There is no title. | Add one that names both variables, such as “Distance rolled for each ramp height”. |
| The axis labels have no units. | Label them “ramp height (cm)” and “distance rolled (cm)”. |
| The horizontal scale jumps from 100 to 200 in one step. | Keep equal steps, such as 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250. |
| Ramp height, the variable that was changed, is on the vertical axis. | Put the independent variable along the bottom and the measured distance up the side. |
| The points are joined dot to dot, which shows every wobble as if it were real. | Draw one straight line of best fit through the middle of the points. |
Which variable on which axis
| Investigation | Along the bottom | Up the side |
|---|---|---|
| How does the depth of water affect the time a toy boat takes to sink? | depth of water (cm) | time to sink (s) |
| How does the time of day affect the length of a shadow? | time of day (h) | length of the shadow (cm) |
| How does the mass on a trolley affect how far it rolls? | mass on the trolley (g) | distance rolled (cm) |
The graph builder: the spring
A good graph is titled “Stretch of a spring for each mass”, with mass (g) along the bottom from 0 to 250 or more in steps of 50, and stretch (cm) up the side from 0 to 10 or more in steps of 1 or 2. The points lie close to a straight line through 0: the line of best fit rises about 4 cm for each 100 g, so stretch (cm) is about 0.04 × mass (g). At 175 g the line gives about 7.0 cm. At 600 g the rule may fail: a spring stretched too far stops stretching evenly and can be bent out of shape, so only a test can say.
Which representation? cards
| Card | Data | Pile | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | The number of each kind of invertebrate found in a leaf-litter sample. | Bar chart | Kinds of animal are separate categories. |
| B | The temperature of a cup of soup every minute as it cools. | Line graph | Temperature changing with time. |
| C | The density of five metals, kept so a sample can be checked against them later. | Table | Exact values to look up. |
| D | The exact time of high tide at our beach each day next week. | Table | People need the exact times. |
| E | The number of students who walk, ride, drive or catch the bus to school. | Bar chart | Ways of travelling are categories. |
| F | How far a spring stretches for each mass hung on it. | Line graph | One measured variable against another. |
| G | The number of hours of daylight on the first day of each month. | Line graph | Daylight changing through the year. |
| H | Each student’s name beside their reaction time, so everyone can find their own. | Table | A look-up list, with no pattern to show. |
| I | The mass of salt left from 100 mL of tap water, sea water and river water. | Bar chart | Three separate kinds of water. |
| J | The favourite fruit of each student in the class. | Bar chart | Fruits are categories. |
| K | The boiling points of six liquids, for checking a label. | Table | Exact values to look up. |
| L | The height of a bean seedling every second day for three weeks. | Line graph | Height changing with time. |
A quick three-level guide
| Move | Working towards | At standard | Beyond |
|---|---|---|---|
| Choose a representation | uses the same kind of graph for everything | chooses a table, bar chart or line graph to suit the data, and says why | adds a model or a rule when it explains the data better |
| Construct a graph | leaves out labels, units or even scales | draws a titled graph with labelled axes, units, even scales and the changed variable along the bottom | chooses scales that use most of the grid without being asked |
| Process and predict | joins the dots and reads values only at the points | draws a line of best fit and reads a prediction from it | states the pattern as a rule and says where the rule stops being safe |
A student at standard chooses a representation to suit the data, constructs a complete graph and reads a prediction from a line of best fit. The skill grows all year, so keep the graph builder coming back whenever a class has results.