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How Big Are Classes 5, 6 and 7?

Use the two sets of data to find out how many children there are in Classes 5, 6 and 7.

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You Never Get a Six

Charlie thinks that a six comes up less often than the other numbers on the dice. Have a look at the results of the test his class did to see if he was right.

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Presenting the Project

Have a look at all the information Class 5 have collected about themselves. Can you find out whose birthday it is today?

The Pet Graph

Stage: 2 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

Why do this problem?

This problem is a simple introduction to bar charts which never-the-less requires both logical working and high level thinking. To be successful learners need to understand what the graph is saying and relating that to the information they have been given.

Key questions

How many different kinds of pets do the class have between them?
How do you know that ...?
Why can't the yellow bar represent ...?
Which bar was the easiest to identify and why?
What can you work out next?
Would it help to write down what you know?

Possible extension

Learners could go on to How Big Are Classes 5, 6 and 7? or You Never Get a Six.

Possible support

Suggest using Cuisenaire rods to make a bar graph to help understanding. See this problem.

The NRICH Project aims to enrich the mathematical experiences of all learners. To support this aim, members of the NRICH team work in a wide range of capacities, including providing professional development for teachers wishing to embed rich mathematical tasks into everyday classroom practice. More information on many of our other activities can be found here.
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NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.