Virginia SOL 4.1.c.iii

Science4th GradeScientific and Engineering Practices

The Standard

compare two different representations of the same data (e.g., a set of data displayed on a chart and a graph)

Virginia Standards of Learning for Science · The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific and engineering practices by

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students compare a data table with a graph showing the same measurements. They identify matching values, trends, highs, lows, and any errors or differences in presentation.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student accurately connects each table value to the matching point, bar, or picture on a graph. The student explains how both displays show the same results in different ways.
Common Misconceptions: Students may think different display formats mean the data are different. They may ignore graph scales, labels, or units, or compare bar height without checking the values. They may also miss an omitted or incorrect data point.
How to Assess It: Give students a five-row temperature table and a matching line graph with one incorrect point. Ask: "Which point is incorrect, and where should it be?"

Lesson moves

Give pairs a weather table, graph paper, and colored pencils to create a graph and connect each plotted value to its table entry.
Display the same class survey as a table and bar graph, then ask students to write two similarities and one presentation difference.
Play Data Detective by giving teams paired displays with one altered value, missing label, or incorrect scale to find and correct.
Compare a school lunch count table with a bar graph, then ask which display helps cafeteria staff plan portions more quickly.

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