Abstract:

Like the Who’s song, Portuguese sea discoveries involved voyages and dangerous discovery journeys full of uncertainty. Also, uncertainty is present in data analysis and probabilities and must be considered in analyses and informed decision-making. Furthermore, using its tools, it is possible to analyze data, identify patterns, try to predict events, and, once again, support decision-making. In data analysis, probability, randomness, and distributions are key concepts. Therefore, these links highlight the importance of understanding and using probabilistic models and statistical methods to deal with uncertainty and make informed decisions (again) based on the analysis of collected data. In this work, the challenge was to approach the data analysis and probabilities within the framework of the essential learning of mathematics, its connections with other topics in mathematics, and different scientific areas, considering some aspects of the Portuguese document for the profile of students upon leaving compulsory schooling (PASEO, Portuguese acronym).

Therefore, we will present statistical literacy and the Portuguese curriculum documents, statistical literacy at school, and examples that may be used in the classroom, such as the ecological footprint and COVID-19, as well as some sites with daily life connected with data analysis and probability. We will suggest data analysis projects in the classroom since the students can be data detectives.

Finally, in the data analysis and probability workshop, we intended to challenge teachers to carry out a series of tasks that could be implemented with students in the first years of schooling, from the 1st to the 6th year of school (1st cycle of primary education (CEB, Portuguese acronym) - ages 5 to 9 - and 2nd CEB - ages 10-11). At these school levels, such tasks fall under the data and probabilities of the Portuguese Mathematics syllabus for CEB education levels (Canavarro et al., 2021). Teachers were challenged to participate and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of these tasks, and dialogue took place between the authors and participants during this practical session. In these two teaching cycles, we will present the tasks, suggesting them as another way of approaching data and probabilities in Mathematics in basic education. Those tasks were used with students who will be future teachers (Portuguese 1st and 2nd CEB about random and deterministic experience concepts and data interconnected with Portuguese (stories and poems) and projects connected with sciences. Future teachers and the in-service teachers who used those tasks liked them very much and were enthusiastic about them. Dynamically doing things in the classroom stimulated the participation of both pupils in the classroom. The same occurred with the in-service elementary school teachers in the workshop.

Keywords:

Data, Probability, Concepts, Tasks, Interdisciplinarity.