Maryland Math 5.DS.A.1.c
The Standard
- 5.DS.A.1
- Ask and answer questions by collecting, organizing and summarizing data, recognizing the importance of context when analyzing data.
Evaluate whether a data visualization accurately represents the data and allows for accurate interpretation given the context.
Maryland College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics (2025) · REPRESENT AND INTERPRET DATA.
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students compare a graph with the data it claims to show. They check values, labels, and scales, then decide whether a statement about the data is supported.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Given a survey table and a bar graph, a student spots a bar that shows the wrong count. They correct it and use the actual counts to explain which choice got more votes.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may trust a neat-looking graph even when its bars do not match the data. They may also miss that an axis starting above zero makes a small difference look large.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: A table says 12 students chose apples and 8 chose bananas, but a bar graph shows 12 and 10. Ask students to find the error, fix it, and state how many more students chose apples.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs a table of fruit votes and graph paper; have them draw bar graphs, swap papers, and check each bar against the table.
Show graphs of 12 apple and 8 banana votes with axes starting at 0 and 7; ask which makes the gap look bigger.
Play chart detective with three graphs of one vote table; students find the graph with a wrong bar height and explain the fix.
Compare cafeteria waste totals, Monday 8 pounds, Tuesday 12, Friday 10, with a chart swapping Tuesday and Friday; ask which day actually leads.
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