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      Selecting relevant data

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can explain which data is relevant to a question and why.

      Key learning points

      1. Relevant data helps you answer the question being asked.
      2. Some data is more relevant to a question than other data.
      3. Irrelevant data does not help.

      Keywords

      • Relevant - useful for answering a question

      • Irrelevant - not useful for answering a question

      Common misconception

      More data always gives better answers.

      Only relevant data helps answer a question clearly.

      Teacher tip

      Keep the investigation question visible throughout the lesson so pupils can use it to decide which data is relevant and explain their reasoning clearly.

      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.
      Which of these is written down to help people remember information?

      Correct answer: a record
      a guess
      a feeling

      Q2.
      Which of these tells us when something happened?

      a colour
      Correct answer: a time
      a picture
      a sound

      Q3.
      Which one is different from the others?

      a timetable
      a diary
      a log
      Correct answer: a guess

      Q4.
      Which sentence is a fact that could be checked later?

      I feel excited about a trip to the zoo.
      Correct answer: The zoo opened at 10.00.
      I like rhinos.

      4 Questions

      Q1.
      Which of these best describes relevant data?

      data that is interesting
      data that is easy to read
      data that has numbers
      Correct answer: data that helps answer a question

      Q2.
      Which sentence is true?

      All data is relevant.
      More data always gives better answers.
      Correct answer: Some data is more relevant than other data.
      Data is only useful if it is interesting.

      Q3.
      Why is some data irrelevant to a question?

      because it is written down
      because it is new
      Correct answer: because it does not help answer the question

      Q4.
      Why is it important to explain why data is relevant?

      to make the data longer
      Correct answer: to show how the data helps answer the question
      to make the data interesting

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