To organize and display their data, they begin by using concrete and pictorial representations, and gradually learn to use tables, bar charts, and line graphs. As students advance through the grades, they explore more complex forms of representation, including multiple-line graphs, circle graphs, and frequency tables. In their study of data and statistics, students shift their perspective from viewing data as a set of individual pieces to an understanding of data as a coherent set with its own collective properties. Students learn how to select and construct representations most appropriate for the data and how to avoid misleading and inappropriate representations. In high school, students gain insight into the use of trend lines and measures of spread for analyzing data.
Students use technology to find lines of best fit.
They design surveys to generate data. In the design process, they learn to choose representative samples and identify biases in the samples and survey questions. Probability may be called the study of the laws of chance. In the elementary grades, students begin the study of probability by conducting experiments with spinners, counters, number cubes, and other concrete objects. They learn to record outcomes of individual experiments, and to organize and analyze results.