Discrete or continuous I

Discrete or continuous I

Pencil and paper
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Working with Students
Further Resources

Data can be classified as discrete or continuous.

Next to each example, circle whether the data is discrete or continuous.
 

   

Circle one
a)
 
b)
 
c)
 
d)
 
e)
 
f)
 
g)
 
h)
 
i)
Number of pages in a book
 
Temperature at midday
 
Number of hairs on your head
 
Number of steps on a ladder
 
Weight of a truck
 
Speed of a jet
 
Number of students at school
 
Height of a building
 
Length of hair
Discrete / Continuous
 
Discrete / Continuous
 
Discrete / Continuous
 
Discrete / Continuous
 
Discrete / Continuous
 
Discrete / Continuous
 
Discrete / Continuous
 
Discrete / Continuous
 
Discrete / Continuous
Task administration: 
This task is completed with pencil and paper only.
Level:
5
Curriculum info: 
Maths, Statistics, Statistical investigations
Keywords: 
discrete data, continuous data
Description of task: 
Students identify data as 'discrete' or 'continuous' from a range of examples.
Learning Progression Frameworks
This resource can provide evidence of learning associated with
Additive thinking
within the Mathematics Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Read more about the Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Answers/responses: 
 

Y10 (10/1998)
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
i)		 discrete
continuous
discrete
discrete
continuous
continuous
discrete
continuous
continuous		 9 correct – difficult

7-8 correct – moderate

5-6 correct – easy

NOTE: Students who get 4 or fewer correct have a high chance of guessing the answers so are not given marks.

For more information, click on the link Types of data: Statistics

Diagnostic and formative information: 
  Common error Likely reason
c)
g)		 continuous Sees large discrete numbers as continuous.
h) discrete Uses number of floors rather than length.