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Maths History

Florence Nightingale and data pictures

Show how graphs can tell a powerful story and help people make better decisions.

Quick answer

Florence Nightingale used data pictures, called pie charts, to show how many soldiers died from disease compared to battle wounds during the Crimean War. Her charts helped people understand that most soldiers died from illness, not fighting, which led to better hospital care.

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will understand how data pictures like bar charts and pie charts can show important stories and help people make better decisions. Success signs:
  • You can explain why Florence Nightingale used data pictures
  • You can make your own simple bar chart or pie chart
  • You can tell a story from a data picture
  • You can see how data helps people understand problems

Why this matters

Data pictures help us see patterns and make smart choices. Just like Florence Nightingale used charts to show how to improve hospitals, you can use charts to understand your own world. Whether it's how many books you read, how many toys you have, or how many people like your school's lunch, data pictures help us share what we know.

How it works

Data pictures show information using shapes, colours, and numbers. They help us compare things quickly. Let's learn how to make and read them. First, we collect information, like how many soldiers died from disease or battle wounds. Then, we draw our chart using bars or slices to show the amounts. Finally, we look at our chart to find out what it tells us.

Examples you can see

Let's imagine Florence Nightingale's story. She found out that many soldiers died from disease, not from being hurt in battle. Before her chart:
  • 100 soldiers
  • 60 died from disease
  • 30 died from battle wounds
  • 10 died from other causes
Her pie chart:
Disease Battle wounds Other causes
60% 30% 10%
This shows that most soldiers died from disease, so she knew hospitals needed better care. Let's try another example. Imagine you have 12 toys, and you want to show how many are cars, dolls, or blocks.
Toy Type Number Bar Length
Cars 5 5 bars
Dolls 4 4 bars
Blocks 3 3 bars
This bar chart helps us see that you have more cars than dolls or blocks.

Try it as a mini adventure

Adventure: The Hospital Helper You are a helper in a hospital and need to find out what helps sick people get better. 1st time: You count how many people are sick with flu, cold, or stomach ache.
  • Flu: 15 people
  • Cold: 10 people
  • Stomach ache: 5 people
2nd time: You draw a bar chart to show these numbers.
  • Flu: 15 bars
  • Cold: 10 bars
  • Stomach ache: 5 bars
3rd time: You make a pie chart to show what part each illness is of the total.
  • Total people: 30
  • Flu: 15 out of 30 = 50%
  • Cold: 10 out of 30 = 33%
  • Stomach ache: 5 out of 30 = 17%
4th time: You look at your charts and tell what you learned.

Common mistakes

  • Mistake: Making bars that are not the right size.
    Why: Counting wrong or drawing bars too short or long.
    Fix: Count carefully and check your numbers match your bars.
  • Mistake: Forgetting to label the chart or what each part means.
    Why: Hurrying or not understanding what the chart shows.
    Fix: Always write what each bar or slice is about.
  • Mistake: Making pie charts with numbers that don't add up.
    Why: Adding wrong or forgetting to check totals.
    Fix: Add all the numbers together to check if they match your chart.

Parent and carer guide

Parents, you can help by:
  • Choosing a topic your child cares about, like pets, books, or toys
  • Helping them collect data
  • Encouraging them to draw charts
  • Asking questions like "What does this chart tell us?"
  • Practising with real-life situations like shopping or cooking
This activity helps children learn that numbers can tell stories. It's not just about maths, it's about understanding the world.

Practice questions

  1. What did Florence Nightingale use to show how many soldiers died from disease?
  2. How many soldiers died from disease if 100 soldiers died and 60 were from disease?
  3. If 15 people had flu, 10 had cold, and 5 had stomach ache, what is the total?
  4. Draw a bar chart showing 3 cars, 4 dolls, and 5 blocks.
  5. What does a pie chart show?
Answers:
  1. Pie charts
  2. 60 soldiers
  3. 30 people
  4. Draw 3 bars for cars, 4 for dolls, 5 for blocks
  5. Parts of a whole

FAQ

What was Florence Nightingale famous for?

Florence Nightingale was famous for helping sick soldiers during the Crimean War and using data to improve hospitals.

Why did she use charts?

She used charts to show people how many soldiers died from disease, so they would know what to fix in hospitals.

Can I make my own charts?

Yes! You can make bar charts or pie charts with your own data like your toys or your favourite snacks.

How do I make a bar chart?

Draw a chart with bars that are as tall as your numbers. For example, if you have 5 toys, draw a bar that is 5 units tall.

Why are charts helpful?

Charts help us see patterns and make better choices. They make big numbers easy to understand.