Math lesson plan · 7th grade (Year 8 in England) · 45 minutes
Pie charts
Statistics and probability
England: Y6 StatisticsEngland: KS3 StatisticsEngland: GCSE Foundation Statistics
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Pie charts.
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: Percentage of an amount; Angles: types and measuring
Leads to: the next skill in this area.
Materials: Squared paper for charts, Class survey data, Sticky notes for a live chart, Mini whiteboards and pens, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 5 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Percentage of an amount; Angles: types and measuring). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- What is 5% of 180? → 9Prompt: Find 10% (or 1%) first, then build up.
- What type of angle is 112°? (acute / right / obtuse / straight / reflex) → obtusePrompt: Compare with a right angle (90°) and a straight line (180°).
- Find 65% of 500. → 325Prompt: 10% of 500 is 50. What are 5% and 1%?
Hook · 5 min
- Take a quick class survey (favorite fruit, travel to school) and ask what the results tell us.
- Share the objective: Pie charts. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 10 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: In a survey of 72 people, 10 chose Dogs. What angle does Dogs get on a pie chart, in degrees?
- Step 1: 360 ÷ 72 = 5
- Step 2: 10 × 5 = 50°
- Answer: 50
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 10 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- In a survey of 72 people, 12 chose Swimming. What angle does Swimming get on a pie chart, in degrees? → 60Prompt: The whole circle is 360°.
- A pie chart shows how 80 students travel to school. The sector for "bus" has an angle of 90°. How many students travel by bus? → 20Prompt: What fraction of 360° is 90°?
You do: independent practice · 10 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 5 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- A pie chart shows how 40 students travel to school. The sector for "bus" has an angle of 90°. How many students travel by bus? → 10Prompt: What fraction of 360° is 90°?
- In a survey of 18 people, 4 chose Mango. What angle does Mango get on a pie chart, in degrees? → 80Prompt: The whole circle is 360°.
Watch out for
- Forgetting to put data in order before finding the median.
- Reading a bar's height wrongly when the scale goes up in 2s or 5s.
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Percentage of an amount.
- Use concrete materials: squared paper for charts.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/math/grade-7.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder