This Unit of Work is designed to allow a number of groups of children access to the same aspect of ICT, Finding Things Out, whilst actually collecting different sets of data related, on this occasion, to a science topic. This particular unit is based around children's activities and could fit into a topic on Ourselves or the Maths curriculum. It uses RM Starting Graph. It is based around a set of 10 different exercises, allowing a class of 30 children to work in small groups.

Many teachers make good use of the sample exercises on Starting Graph, but then do not move beyond. It takes time to design good data handling exercises, particularly if you do not want thirty children doing exactly the same thing.

These exercises cover collecting and entering data, answering questions from a pictogram and sorting. This set of exercises is for those pupils that have alrady tried Startng Graph - maybe done the food exercises. They are silghtly harder questions. To finish the children need to save their work, then retrieve it and print a graph off. This work makes a good base for moving onto data handling with Information Magic or Information Workshop.
You will need Starting Graph on your machine to use these exercises.

For a comprehensive table of where these may fit into the NC please Click Here.

These may be useful whilst covering the Science topic 2A : Health and Growth.

"Through this unit children learn that animals (including humans) grow and reproduce. They can use ideas about feeding and growth to learn about ways we need to look after ourselves to stay healthy.

Experimental and investigative work focuses on:

• making and recording observations and simple comparisons
• presenting information in charts and tables
• Children will also have opportunities to consider ways in which science is relevant to their personal health and to relate science to aspects of their everyday life (food, exercise, medicines), and to recognise and control hazards and risks to themselves."
  

They also address ICT 1E Representing information graphically: Pictograms

"In this unit children learn how to use ICT to represent information graphically. They learn how to create pictograms and how to answer simple questions on the data shown in their pictograms.

Children will use a graphing package to create their work and will learn how to enter data correctly and how to use icons.

Children will apply what they have learnt in this unit when classifying objects in science or mathematics; undertaking investigations in mathematics, science and geography."

Playtime	Indoor Activities	Team Games
Housework	Saturday Activities	Collecting Toys
This year's holiday	After School	Board Games
Musical Activities	Outdoor Sports	Zip File of exercises

Downloading the files:

1. Save it to your machine by right clicking on the link and selecting Save. Put it anywhere you feel will be easy to get to again: I would recommend in My Work or a shared area.
2. Alternatively you can download a zip file that contains all of the files in one go, and then extract them into the shared area. ( I would only recommend this if you have previous experience using zip files.)

Useful tips for using the files:

It is necessary to be on at least Green Level of Starting Graph - otherwise children can only enter a count up to 13 in the pictogram.
Don't forget to encourage the children to each print off a graph and then write and answer each other's questions from the display. Here is the Word file with all of the questions in it for your use in making set of cards for this extension work.
Children would be working at Level 2 :
Pupils use ICT to organise and classify information and to present their findings. They enter, save and retrieve work. They use ICT to help them generate, amend and record their work and share their ideas in different forms, including text, tables, images and sound. They plan and give instructions to make things happen and describe the effects. They use ICT to explore what happens in real and imaginary situations. They talk about their experiences of ICT both inside and outside school.

More help with downloading.