Desert road closure

Desert road closure

Auto-markingPencil and paperOnline interactive
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Working with Students
Further Resources

Question 1Change answer

Number of Times the Desert Road was Closed

bar graph of desert road closures

The graph above shows the number of times the Desert Road was closed between 2016 and 2025. Use the graph to answer the following questions.

a)  What year was the road closed the most number of times?
 
b)  What year was the road closed the least number of times?
 
c)  What year was the road closed more than 9 times but less than 20 times?
 
d)  How many times was the road closed in the 2 years that had the greatest number of closures? 
 
e)  What is the total number of closures between 2016 and 2020 (including these years)? 
 
f)  What is the difference between the number of times the road was closed in 2018 and 2025? 
Task administration: 
This task is completed with pencil and paper only.
 
Level:
4
Curriculum info: 
Maths, Statistics, Statistical investigations
Key Competencies: 
Using language, symbols, and texts
Keywords: 
bar graphs, graph interpretation, time-series
Description of task: 
Students interpret information presented in a bar graph to answer questions.
Curriculum Links: 
This resource can be used to help to identify students' ability to interpret a bar chart.
Learning Progression Frameworks
This resource can provide evidence of learning associated with
Statistical investigations, set 5
within the Mathematics Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Read more about the Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Answers/responses: 
 
Y8 (11/1997)
a) 1992 very easy
b) 1987 very easy
c) 1991 very easy
d) 33 moderate
e) 29 moderate
f) 3 difficult

 

Diagnostic and formative information: 
  Common error Likely reason
c) 1990, 1992 Misreads year on x-axis.
d) 1991 and 1992 Quotes years rather than total.
d)
e)		 32, 34
28, 30		 Miscalculates or misreading heights of bar.
f) 2 or 4 Misreading height of bars on y-axis.