🎯 Learning Intention
Understand the difference between raw data and meaningful information, and explain how data can be organised and analysed to support decisions.
✅ Success Criteria
- I can describe the difference between data and information.
- I can identify examples of data and information.
- I can explain how data becomes useful when it is organised, analysed and given context.
1. What is the difference?
📊 Data
Data is raw facts, values or observations that have not yet been organised or explained.
Examples:
14, 16, 13, 15
Blue, Red, Blue, Green
Yes, No, Yes, Yes
14, 16, 13, 15
Blue, Red, Blue, Green
Yes, No, Yes, Yes
💡 Information
Information is data that has been processed, organised or interpreted so that it has meaning.
Examples:
The average age is 14.5
Blue was the most popular colour
75% of students answered yes
The average age is 14.5
Blue was the most popular colour
75% of students answered yes
2. How does data become information?
Data becomes information when we add meaning to it.
- Collect the data.
- Clean mistakes or missing values.
- Organise the data into a table, spreadsheet or database.
- Analyse it by sorting, filtering, counting or calculating.
- Communicate the result using a sentence, chart or conclusion.
Example
Raw data: 3, 4, 5, 5, 4, 5, 2
Information: Most students rated the activity highly, with 5 being the most common score.
3. Quick Check
Read the example and decide whether it is Data or Information.
4. Sorting Activity
Drag each example into the correct category.
“12, 15, 17, 19”
“The average score was 15.75.”
“Yes, No, Yes, Yes, No”
“60% of students preferred option A.”
“Red, Blue, Green, Blue”
“Blue was the most selected colour.”
📊 Data
💡 Information
5. Reflection Questions
Answer these in your book or class document.
- Why is raw data not always useful by itself?
- What is one example of data you might collect for a school assessment?
- How could that data be turned into useful information?