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New
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Year 6

Collecting data

I can collect data and organise it in a spreadsheet.

icon-background-square
New
New
Year 6

Collecting data

I can collect data and organise it in a spreadsheet.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. We can collect data about the what happens in the world around us.
  2. Data that is organised is easier to understand.
  3. Tables can be used to organise data in rows with each value described by labelled column headings.
  4. A spreadsheet is a tool on a computer that can be used to organise recorded data.

Keywords

  • Data - facts and figures in their raw form

  • Row - a line of data in a table that runs horizontally

  • Column - a group of data in a table that runs vertically

  • Spreadsheet - an electronic document that stores data arranged in rows and columns

Common misconception

When data is being recorded, if the person recording knows what each value represents, column labels are not needed.

Column labels are important to make the data clear and easy to understand for everyone, even if the person recording it knows what it means.


To help you plan your year 6 computing lesson on: Collecting data, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Use props to help pupils generate data to record in a spreadsheet. Pupils will benefit from applying computing knowledge to situations they observe in the world around them.
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Teacher tip
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Equipment

Pupils will need access to spreadsheet software.

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
What tool do you use to type information on a computer?
mouse
Correct answer: keyboard
monitor
printer
Q2.
What tool do you use to select objects on a computer screen?
Correct answer: mouse
monitor
keyboard
printer
Q3.
Which application is used for writing documents?
drawing software
spreadsheet
browser
Correct answer: word processor
Q4.
What is a calculator used for?
playing games
drawing pictures
Correct answer: working out calculations
watching videos
Q5.
Which of these is a way of organising information?
mixing it up
Correct answer: sorting by size
ignoring it
deleting it
Q6.
What is one way to collect data?
by guessing
by ignoring it
Correct answer: by asking people
by erasing it

6 Questions

Q1.
What can we collect data about?
only numbers
just letters
only colours
Correct answer: the world around us
Q2.
What is a spreadsheet used for?
Correct answer: organising data
drawing pictures
writing stories
playing games
Q3.
What is a column in a table?
a line of text
a horizontal line of data
Correct answer: a vertical group of data
a picture
Q4.
What is a line of data running horizontally called?
Correct Answer: row
Q5.
Why are column labels important in a table?
They make the table look pretty.
Correct answer: They help everyone understand the data.
They are not important.
They are used to store data.
Q6.
Put these actions in the order they should be done:
1 - collect data
2 - organise data
3 - display data