Collecting Class Information Together

You will learn how to collect information from your classmates by asking them simple questions. When your whole class works together, you can learn many facts about one topic, like everyone's favorite fruit or favorite animal.

Collecting information means asking people questions and writing down what they say. In your class, you can ask each classmate the same question. Then you gather all their answers together.

You might ask, "What is your favorite color?" or "Do you have a pet?" Each answer you collect is a piece of information. When you put all the answers together, you learn something about the whole class.

A good question is short and easy to answer. It should only need a short answer, like one word or "yes" or "no." Some good questions are:

"What is your favorite fruit?"
"Do you like to read?"
"How many pets do you have?"

You ask the same question to every classmate. This way, all the answers can be put together and compared.

You do not have to ask every question by yourself. You can work with a partner or a small group. One classmate can ask the question while another writes down the answer.

You can take turns so everyone gets a job. One group might ask the red team, and another group might ask the blue team. Then all the groups come together and share what they found, just like in group research and reporting.

After you ask your question, you collect all the answers. You can make a mark for each answer, like a tally mark, or draw a small picture for each answer.

Then you count the marks to see which answer came up the most. This helps everyone see what most of the class thinks or likes.

Once your group has all the answers, you tell the rest of the class what you found. You might say, "Five classmates like apples the best." You can also show your chart or pictures to everyone.

Sharing your information helps every classmate learn something new, even about people they did not ask themselves.

Question: Something you ask to get an answer, like "What is your favorite color?"

Answer: What a person tells you when you ask them a question.

Information: Facts you learn by asking and listening.

Collecting: Gathering many answers or facts together.

Tally Mark: A small line you draw to count one answer.

Chart: A picture that shows information so it is easy to see.

Group: A small team of classmates working together.

Pick one simple question, like "What is your favorite season?" Ask five classmates and write down each answer. Then make a tally mark chart to show what you found.

Work with a partner. One of you asks the question, and the other writes down the answers. Then switch jobs and try a new question together.

Related lessons

• Work Together on Class Research