Charts and data
Grade 6 · Math
Explore numbers, spot patterns and explain how you worked it out.
Choose a game
Take your time, try a game and collect stars.
The mean
Add the values and divide by how many there are. Find the mean of small data sets in this
Play The meanPie charts
A quarter of a pie chart is 90°. Match sectors to angles and amounts in this
Play Pie charts
Learning about charts and data
These Grade 6 Math games practice The mean, Pie charts. Choose a game above for a short activity, or explore the examples below before you play. The full guide for each game explains its controls, gives more examples and includes a free printable for practice away from the screen.
Talk it through
Use counters, a drawing or a number line before moving to a mental method. Ask your child to explain a choice, then change one number and try the method again.
Ask: “How could you show the same answer another way?” Give your child time to explain. Return to an example after playing and ask whether they would approach it differently.
The mean
In this game children find the mean of small data sets, and work backwards from a mean to a total. Every mean is a whole number, so children can focus on the method.
Try an example: What is the mean of 4, 6 and 8?
4 + 6 + 8 = 18. 18 ÷ 3 = 6.
Show the answer
6
What to look out for
Dividing by the wrong number, often forgetting a zero in the data. Count every value, including zeros, before dividing.
Pie charts
In this game children match sectors to their angles, because a whole pie chart is 360°, and to amounts, because a fraction of the pie is the same fraction of the total. Linking fractions, angles and amounts is the skill being practiced.
Try an example: What angle is a third of a pie chart?
360 ÷ 3 = 120.
Show the answer
120°
What to look out for
Thinking a quarter of a pie chart is 25°. A quarter of 360° is 90°. 25 is a quarter of 100, not 360.
Practice away from the screen
- Find the mean number of goals your team scored over its last few matches.
- Draw a pie chart of how you spend a day: sleeping, school, play and meals.
Curriculum connections
The mean
Supports part of Common Core 6.SP.B.5.c: measures of center, here the mean. This focused game does not cover the entire standard.
Common Core connection: 6.SP.B.5.c. This is focused practice for part of the standard.
Pie charts
Enrichment: pie charts (circle graphs) are not a Common Core standard. They combine fractions of a whole with angles, which are measured in Grade 4 (4.MD.C.5).
Questions families ask
Where should we start with charts and data?
Start with The mean. Look at the worked example together, then try a round. If the task feels unfamiliar, use the full game guide or its free printable before trying again.
Does this cover everything taught at this level?
No. These games provide focused practice. Grade suggestions do not replace your school’s curriculum, and any Common Core connection applies only to the skill described.