In Year Two this week, pupils began an exciting new Computing unit focused on questioning, data and pictograms. Although no devices were used in this first lesson, the children were busy developing the thinking and understanding they will need before creating their own pictograms digitally next week.
The lesson introduced pupils to the idea that computing is not just about using technology, but also about collecting information, organising it and thinking carefully about what it tells us.
What Is a Pictogram?
We started by learning some important new vocabulary, including:
Pictogram – a diagram that uses pictures to represent data
Data – a collection of information
Information – facts or knowledge gathered from a source
The children discussed how pictograms help us answer simple questions, while also recognising that they have limits and cannot explain everything.
Types of Homes
Using photographs and class discussion, pupils explored different types of homes, including detached houses, semi-detached houses, bungalows, terraced houses and flats.
They talked about:
How these homes look different
What features they noticed
Which types they were familiar with
This generated thoughtful conversations and helped children make real-life connections to the data they were about to collect.
Activity: My Home
Pupils then completed a worksheet about their own homes, identifying the type of home they live in and sharing information with the class. This was an important step in understanding where data comes from and how it represents real people and real experiences.
Looking Ahead: Creating Our Pictograms
Although we didn’t create pictograms on devices today, pupils explored examples and discussed key questions such as:
What information does a pictogram show?
What information does it not show?
Next week, pupils will use this collected data to create their own pictograms digitally, applying their understanding in a practical and creative way.
Why This Matters
This lesson helped pupils build strong foundations in:
Data handling
Questioning and reasoning
Understanding how information is represented
By separating the thinking from the technology, children were able to focus deeply on what they were learning and why it matters.
We’re looking forward to seeing their pictograms come to life next week! ⭐
This lesson followed Purple Mash Computing Unit 2.4 – Questioning: Using and Creating Pictograms
