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Lesson details

Learning outcome

I can identify useful data that can help answer a question.

Key learning points

  1. Data can be collected from different sources.
  2. Data can help answer questions.
  3. Data consists of facts we collect when we count, measure or observe.

Keywords

  • Data - numbers, words or pictures collected to learn something

  • Source - where data comes from

Common misconception

All data is useful.

Some data helps you answer questions, while other data may not be useful.

Teacher tip

Use simple, concrete examples of recorded facts to help pupils distinguish between facts and guesses before introducing the question about Ruby being missing from her enclosure.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
(Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

4 Questions

Q1.
What could you use to look up what happened earlier?

a guess
Correct answer: a diary entry
someone else's opinion

Q2.
Which of these tells us when something happened?

Correct answer: the time
a colour
a feeling
the weather

Q3.
Which of these would help you find out how many pencils are in a pot?

guessing
Correct answer: counting them
drawing a picture

Q4.
Which of these things is more likely to be correct?

Correct answer: a book written by an expert on the topic
your friend who is making a guess
somebody who has heard a rumour

4 Questions

Q1.
Which sentence best describes data?

Data is what people think.
Correct answer: Data is recorded facts that can be checked.
Data is only numbers.

Q2.
Where does data come from?

opinions
guesses
Correct answer: sources

Q3.
Which data would be most useful for answering the question: When was Ruby the rhino last seen?

Correct answer: a zookeeper log with times
a picture of Ruby
a zoo cafe menu
a weather report

Q4.
You have been asked to investigate what happened to Ruby the rhino this morning. Why would a zookeeper log be useful?

It shows opinions about Ruby.
Correct answer: It records facts at specific times.
It tells stories about the zoo.

To help you plan your 3 digital literacy lesson on: Data as clues, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...