Standard 1: Collect, represent and interpret numerical and categorical data.

General Information
Number: MA.3.DP.1
Title: Collect, represent and interpret numerical and categorical data.
Type: Standard
Subject: Mathematics (B.E.S.T.)
Grade: 3
Strand: Data Analysis and Probability

Related Benchmarks

This cluster includes the following benchmarks.

Related Access Points

This cluster includes the following access points.

Access Points

MA.3.DP.1.AP.1a
Sort and represent categorical data (up to four categories) with whole-number values using tables, pictographs or bar graphs. Select appropriate title, labels and units.
MA.3.DP.1.AP.1b
Explore representing numerical data with whole-number values using line plots.
MA.3.DP.1.AP.2a
Interpret data with whole-number values represented with tables, pictographs or bar graphs to solve one-step “how many more” and “how many less” problems.
MA.3.DP.1.AP.2b
Interpret data with whole-number values represented with scaled pictographs or scaled bar graphs. For scaled pictographs, symbols used may only represent quantities of 2, 5 or 10 and only whole symbols may be used. For scaled bar graphs, intervals may only represent quantities of 2, 5 or 10.
MA.3.DP.1.AP.2c
Explore interpreting data with whole-number values represented with line plots.

Related Resources

Vetted resources educators can use to teach the concepts and skills in this topic.

Formative Assessments

Measuring our Pencils Line Plot:

Students make a line plot from a set of measurement data that includes measurements to the nearest whole inch.

Type: Formative Assessment

Measuring our Pencils – Part Two:

Students make a line plot from a set of measurement data that includes measurements to the nearest fourth of an inch.

Type: Formative Assessment

Measuring Hand Spans Line Plot:

Students make a line plot from a set of measurement data that includes measurements to the nearest whole centimeter.

Type: Formative Assessment

The Teacher’s Shoe - Part Two:

Students make a line plot displaying measurements found in Part One of this task.

Type: Formative Assessment

Collecting Cans for Recycling:

Students answer questions about a scaled bar graph.

Type: Formative Assessment

Lunch Orders:

Students are asked to create a scaled bar graph from a given set of data.

Type: Formative Assessment

Flowers in the Garden:

Students are asked to create a pictograph from a given set of data.

Type: Formative Assessment

Favorite After School Activity:

Students are asked to sort a set of data and create a scaled bar graph using their sorted data.

Type: Formative Assessment

Lesson Plans

How does Generative AI work?:

Students will explore Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the basics on how generative AI models use Large Language Models (LLMs) and Natural Language Processing NLP to generate outputs. This K-3 lesson is an integrated Computer Science, ELA and Math lesson designed for application of math and ELA content knowledge while exploring and using computational thinking to understand how generative AI works, making cross-curricular connections to understand emerging technologies.

Type: Lesson Plan

U.S. Symbols Construction:

Students will interpret and make comparisons of construction start and end dates and heights of U.S. symbols. Students will solve one- and two-step word problems based on the data.

Type: Lesson Plan

Graph the Election 2:

Students will conduct an election and learn about the structure and functions of the government. With election data, students will represent data and graph the data. Math and Civics are in this integrated lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

Fractions and Civics 3:

Students will conduct surveys, tally results, and represent the data on graphs. In this lesson, students will also represent data in fractions, equivalent fractions and learn how citizens demonstrate civility, cooperation, volunteerism and other civic virtues. Math and Civics are integrated in this lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

Your Vote Counts, Math in Civics I:

This lesson will introduce and give students practice, voting collecting data, and creating graphs. The lesson will help students to recognize how to organize data and that it is every citizen’s responsibility to vote. Students will see first-hand what happens when everyone does not get to vote. Math and Civics are integrated into this lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

How Many Years?:

Students will discuss what they know about individuals who represent the U.S. or Florida and interpret data including important dates in the lives of these individuals. Students will use the data to solve one and two-step word problems in this integrated lesson.

Type: Lesson Plan

U.S. Images Data Sort:

Students will determine ways to categorize images of symbols, individuals and documents that represent the United States to create a table of their data. Using the table students will create a scaled pictograph in this integrated lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

Elementary School Food Drive- Analyzing Data:

Students will then analyze a set of data from a school food drive scenario and complete a bar graph. Students will also use the data to discuss what items are important to be included in a food drive and how food drives are driven by volunteers in this integrated lesson plan.

This lesson is Part 1 of 3 math lesson integrating the importance of volunteering in a food drive.

Type: Lesson Plan

Voting and Volunteerism:

Students will participate as a voter in their classroom community in an election about which school service project they could do. They will represent and interpret their voting data in various types of graphs, such as scaled bar graphs and scaled pictographs. After interpreting the data, they will recognize that as a responsible citizen, it is their civic duty to participate in the election process to have a voice in the outcome.

Type: Lesson Plan

Help, Collect, Plot!:

In this lesson plan, students will collect numerical data on a school-based food drive and represent and interpret the the data using line plots. The students will demonstrate volunteerism by donating to the community.

Type: Lesson Plan

I Vote, You Vote, We Vote:

In this lesson, students will analyze voting data and perform mathematical procedures to determine the answer to specific questions. Students will compare the population of the community vs. the number of votes counted. Students will discuss the contribution each citizen is making when voting and the effects on the results when citizens do not vote.

Type: Lesson Plan

Going to the Dogs?:

In this integrated lesson plan, students will use their knowledge of collecting and interpreting data as they participate in a hypothetical election based on the controversy of whether or not their community should have a leash law. Students will be given background knowledge of the differences between state and local governments, and how laws are enacted, in particular, “leash laws” for dogs. The students will vote, tally the results, and use a frequency table to create a bar graph determining the range, title, and labels. Students will then interpret the election results while answering one- and two-step problems based on their bar graphs while demonstrating their knowledge of different levels of government and the importance of voting in local elections.

Type: Lesson Plan

Food Drive:

A data table is given listing class donations to a food drive. Students interpret the data and answer questions using addition and subtraction. Students discuss the importance of, volunteerism and ways that they can help their community.

Type: Lesson Plan

Raising the Bar:

Students will create and interpret bar graphs using tally mark data from a table. Students will also discuss and understand the implications of our civic duty to vote, and how this affects data for polls and decision-making, in this integrated lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

Terrarium:

In this lesson plan students are challenged with building a self-sufficient terrarium.

Type: Lesson Plan

Response to the Cues:

This is a design challenge that requires students to cooperatively create a plant terrarium through the process of asking questions, imagining what the design would look like, planning the design, creating the design, testing the design, improving the design, and finally testing their redesign.

Type: Lesson Plan

Rampin' It Up:

Students will use their knowledge of properties of materials and measurement of length to determine how the properties of different surfaces affect the distance traveled by a toy car.

Type: Lesson Plan

Graphs Your Way!:

In this lesson students go on a field trip around the school. They will collect data from adults about their favorite movie and from children about their favorite video game. They will use this information to construct their own scaled horizontal/vertical bar graphs or scaled pictographs. They will write situational stories/questions to accompany their graphs. They will also collaborate with their peers to compare and contrast a pictograph with a bar graph.

Type: Lesson Plan

Cuts In A Rush:

In this time rush to get a haircut, students will add elapsed time to find the total time spent at the hair salon and the time of departure from the salon. They must use this information determine which salon is the best for the new family in the neighborhood. Students will submit a letter to the client explaining their procedure for ranking the hair salons.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought processes. MEAs follow a problem-based, student-centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEAs visit: https://www.cpalms.org/cpalms/mea.aspx

Type: Lesson Plan

Florida Fish Aquarium Challenge:

This task involves having students look at three different fish tank sizes and determine, using a data list, which fish will fit in these fish tanks based on their size. They will also need to look at other characteristics to determine how to group the fish together. Students will have to either multiply, divide or add repeatedly in order to find different solutions on how to place the fish in each tank size.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem, while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought process. MEAs follow a problem-based, student centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEA’s visit: https://www.cpalms.org/cpalms/mea.aspx

Type: Lesson Plan

Sweet Donut Shop:

In this Model Eliciting Activity, MEA, students will help the Sweet Donut Shop determine what the newest donut will be. Students are given the cost to make each batch along with the selling price and are asked to determine the profit for each batch. Students create a procedure for ranking the donuts and write a letter explaining the procedure and the ranking. In the “twist” students are provided the starting and finishing times for each batch. They must determine the total amount of time, decide if their procedure should change based on the new information, and write a letter explaining whether the procedure changed and the new ranking of the donuts.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem, while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought process. MEAs follow a problem-based, student centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEA’s visit: https://www.cpalms.org/cpalms/mea.aspx

Type: Lesson Plan

X Marks the Spot!:

In this lesson, students will make multiple measurements and record the measurements on a line plot.

Type: Lesson Plan

This Is My Country:

Students will collect and represent categorical data (countries or states/districts of birth of third graders) on a scaled bar graph using an appropriate title, labels, and units. They will interpret and discuss the data by writing and solving one-step problems. It is suggested the students later use this same data to create a scaled pictograph and then compare the two representations.

Type: Lesson Plan

Raja Rangoli:

Rangoli is a traditional Indian art that is used in decorating the entrance of the house to welcome guests. In this activity students will use the concept of lines of symmetry to select the best rangoli design for a school event.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought processes. MEAs follow a problem-based, student-centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEAs visit: https://www.cpalms.org/cpalms/mea.aspx

Type: Lesson Plan

Animal Habitat MEA:

Animal Habitat MEA is where the students will help a pet store choose which habitat they should buy to house their snake and lizard families. The students will solve an open-ended problem and give details on the process that they used to solve the problem.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem, while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought process. MEAs follow a problem-based, student centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEA’s visit: https://www.cpalms.org/cpalms/mea.aspx

Type: Lesson Plan

Healthy Habits:

In this Model Eliciting Activity, MEA, students will determine what two snacks should be placed in the school vending machines because the district is asking for healthier and tastier snacks. Factors to consider are calories, fat, protein, sugar, student comments, and cost.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem, while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought process. MEAs follow a problem-based, student-centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEA’s visit: https://www.cpalms.org/cpalms/mea.aspx

Type: Lesson Plan

Dining Dilemma!:

In this Model Eliciting Activity, MEA, students will compare different nutritional content of chicken nuggets from many restaurants presented in bar graphs. They will factor in the calories, total fat, and sodium information about the nuggets to create a procedure for ranking the nuggets from healthiest to least healthy.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem, while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought process. MEAs follow a problem-based, student centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEA’s visit: https://www.cpalms.org/cpalms/mea.aspx

Type: Lesson Plan

Picking Pets:

Using information about the needs of different animals, students will help choose which pet would be best to purchase for a classroom.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem, while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought process. MEAs follow a problem-based, student centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEA’s visit: https://www.cpalms.org/cpalms/mea.aspx

Type: Lesson Plan

Cars for Sale MEA:

Students will compare multi-digit numbers to create a procedure for choosing the best car for Edward Easy to buy for his driving school. They will have to weigh quantitative and qualitative factors to determine the best car to purchase. Students will present their recommendations and the steps to the procedure they created in writing and orally.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem, while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought process. MEAs follow a problem-based, student centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEA’s visit: https://www.cpalms.org/cpalms/mea.aspx

Type: Lesson Plan

Lighthouses and Lenses - An Engineering Design Challenge:

This Engineering Design Challenge is intended to help students apply the concepts of force , the concept of wind energy, and practice working with a budget as they build structures to withstand the force of high-speed winds. The first day's lesson also provides practice in recognizing and drawing shapes. It is not intended as an initial introduction to these concepts.

Type: Lesson Plan

How Far Does It Roll?:

In this lesson, students will roll ping pong balls down a ramp and record whole-number measurements for the roll distance.  Students will represent this data by creating a line plot.

Type: Lesson Plan

Lunchroom Logistics:

The principal needs help planning the school lunch schedule! Students will plan a lunch schedule to accommodate all of the students in the school. However, there can only be 100 students in the cafeteria at a time and only 20 students can sit at a table. Students will figure out how to arrange the lunch schedule so that every class eats together and so that certain grade levels are not together at the same time.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought processes. MEAs follow a problem-based, student-centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEAs visit: https://www.cpalms.org/cpalms/mea.aspx

Type: Lesson Plan

Original Student Tutorials

Responsibility to Vote Part 2: Graphing Data:

Learn how to use a bar graph to summarize voting results at school in this interactive tutorial. 

This is part 2 in a two-part series. Click HERE to open Part 1.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Responsibility to Vote Part 1:

United States citizens have a responsibility to vote. In this integrated civics and math tutorial, a class collects voting data to display in a table showing the students' and teachers' choices for a new school project. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Lesson 23 Video: MEA Researching Sea Turtle Nesting Temperatures:

In this video Sam-1 introduces a Model Eliciting Activity (MEA) challenge. Students will take their prior experiences from the properties unit and apply their knowledge of investigating sea turtle nesting temperatures.

Students will develop a hypothesis, design an experiment, and support their reasoning to determine how to best study different methods for cooling sea turtle nesting areas.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Lesson 3 Video: Introduction to Length:

In this video, students will make observations based on the property of size, specifically length. Students will learn about the metric and customary measurement systems and use line plots to organize and sort data.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Bar Graph Jones and the Pyramid of Pi:

Learn to use the information presented in scaled bar graphs to solve one-step “how many more” and “how many fewer” problems.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Perspectives Video: Teaching Ideas

Making Connections Between Partitioning Circles and Circle Graphs:

Unlock an effective teaching strategy for connecting partitioning circles and circle graphs in this Teacher Perspectives video for educators.

Type: Perspectives Video: Teaching Idea

Using Manipulatives to Create Stem and Leaf Plots:

Unlock an effective teaching strategy for teaching stem and leaf plots in this Teacher Perspectives video for educators.

Type: Perspectives Video: Teaching Idea

Problem-Solving Tasks

Growing Bean Plants:

This task adds some rigor to the activity, by collecting actual growth data, providing practice for students in measuring and recording length measurements. Centimeters are an appropriate unit for these measurements, as they provide a good level of precision for these measurements, while being easy enough for students to handle.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

The Longest Walk:

After students have drawn and measured their ten line segments, it might be more useful for the class to discuss part (b) as a whole group. It is a good idea to have the students use color to help them keep track of the connection between a line that they have drawn and the corresponding data point on the graph.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

Classroom Supplies:

The purpose of this task is for students to solve problems involving the four operations and draw a scaled bar graph to represent a data set with several categories.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

Hand Span Measures:

The size of the hand makes a difference in some sports that involve throwing or catching and some activities such as playing the piano. Hand span is a measure that has been used for many years. By placing the hand on the edge of a piece of paper and marking the tips of the thumb and little finger, the student can measure a straight line. This is a better method than placing the hand directly on the ruler. Discuss rounding conventions. This could be used as a class activity, or students could gather and plot data on separate line plots from different age groups.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

Virtual Manipulative

KidsZone: Create a Graph:

Create bar, line, pie, area, and xy graphs.

Type: Virtual Manipulative

Student Resources

Vetted resources students can use to learn the concepts and skills in this topic.

Original Student Tutorials

Responsibility to Vote Part 2: Graphing Data:

Learn how to use a bar graph to summarize voting results at school in this interactive tutorial. 

This is part 2 in a two-part series. Click HERE to open Part 1.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Responsibility to Vote Part 1:

United States citizens have a responsibility to vote. In this integrated civics and math tutorial, a class collects voting data to display in a table showing the students' and teachers' choices for a new school project. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Lesson 23 Video: MEA Researching Sea Turtle Nesting Temperatures:

In this video Sam-1 introduces a Model Eliciting Activity (MEA) challenge. Students will take their prior experiences from the properties unit and apply their knowledge of investigating sea turtle nesting temperatures.

Students will develop a hypothesis, design an experiment, and support their reasoning to determine how to best study different methods for cooling sea turtle nesting areas.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Lesson 3 Video: Introduction to Length:

In this video, students will make observations based on the property of size, specifically length. Students will learn about the metric and customary measurement systems and use line plots to organize and sort data.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Bar Graph Jones and the Pyramid of Pi:

Learn to use the information presented in scaled bar graphs to solve one-step “how many more” and “how many fewer” problems.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Problem-Solving Tasks

The Longest Walk:

After students have drawn and measured their ten line segments, it might be more useful for the class to discuss part (b) as a whole group. It is a good idea to have the students use color to help them keep track of the connection between a line that they have drawn and the corresponding data point on the graph.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

Classroom Supplies:

The purpose of this task is for students to solve problems involving the four operations and draw a scaled bar graph to represent a data set with several categories.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

Parent Resources

Vetted resources caregivers can use to help students learn the concepts and skills in this topic.

Problem-Solving Tasks

Growing Bean Plants:

This task adds some rigor to the activity, by collecting actual growth data, providing practice for students in measuring and recording length measurements. Centimeters are an appropriate unit for these measurements, as they provide a good level of precision for these measurements, while being easy enough for students to handle.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

The Longest Walk:

After students have drawn and measured their ten line segments, it might be more useful for the class to discuss part (b) as a whole group. It is a good idea to have the students use color to help them keep track of the connection between a line that they have drawn and the corresponding data point on the graph.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

Classroom Supplies:

The purpose of this task is for students to solve problems involving the four operations and draw a scaled bar graph to represent a data set with several categories.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

Hand Span Measures:

The size of the hand makes a difference in some sports that involve throwing or catching and some activities such as playing the piano. Hand span is a measure that has been used for many years. By placing the hand on the edge of a piece of paper and marking the tips of the thumb and little finger, the student can measure a straight line. This is a better method than placing the hand directly on the ruler. Discuss rounding conventions. This could be used as a class activity, or students could gather and plot data on separate line plots from different age groups.

Type: Problem-Solving Task