School Voices Activity Packet Ohio Social Studies • Civic Research & Inquiry
School Voices Survey Packet
Part 1: Designing an Unbiased Community Question
Name:
Partner(s):
Date & Homeroom:
Ohio Civic Standard: Community Inquiry
Active citizens investigate issues in their community to make informed decisions. In this project, your team will identify a meaningful school topic, survey members of our school building, and translate their voices into data.
1Topic Selection
Choose one of the follow ideas (check or write your own):
Ice Cream Flavor Favorite Pet Recess Activity Weekend Activity
Other Topic Idea:
2 Survey Question & Options (Must have 3 to 5 clear choices)
Make sure your question is neutral (unbiased) and easy for any student or staff member to answer in under 15 seconds.
Our Official Survey Question:
The Options Respondents Can Choose From:
A.
B.
C.
D.
3 Survey Plan & Hypothesis
Target Sample Size:
20 people 25 people 30 people
Tip: 20 or 25 make fraction-to-percentage math simpler!
Survey Location / Group:
Hypothesis (Which option do you predict will get the largest slice? Why?):
Teacher Approval Signature:
Page 1 of 3 • Survey Proposal
Ohio Social Studies • Civic Research & Inquiry
School Voices Survey Packet
Part 2: Field Survey Collection & Frequency Tally
Field Survey Civics Code of Conduct
Ask politely: "Excuse me, do you have 15 seconds for a school survey?"
Read choices neutrally without favoring your own opinion.
Thank each person warmly, no matter what choice they select.
Official Data Collection Table
Use standard 5-count tallies: ||||
Opt Category / Choice Description Tally Marks (Record as you survey) Total Votes Respondent Types A Choice A:
Students
Staff/Teachers
|
| B | Choice B:
| | |
Students
Staff/Teachers
|
| C | Choice C:
| | |
Students
Staff/Teachers
|
| D | Choice D:
| | |
Students
Staff/Teachers
|
| E | Choice E (Optional):
| | |
Students
Staff/Teachers
|
| Grand Total People Surveyed (Sum of Votes): | | Target Met? Yes |
Field Observer Notes & Surprises
Did respondents ask questions, hesitate between two options, or mention something unexpected? Record your observations:
Tally Verification: Total votes match sample count
Page 2 of 3 • Raw Field Data
Ohio Social Studies • Civic Research & Inquiry
School Voices Survey Packet
Part 3: Circle Graph Construction & Civic Decision Making
1 Data Conversion Table (Total Respondents: ______)
Opt Category Name Count Fraction (\(\frac{\text{Count}}{\text{Total}}\)) Percent (%) Color / Key A B C D E Optional Totals Check: = 1 whole = 100% All accounted for!
2 Circle Graph: Title: _____________________________________________
20 tick marks (each tick = 5%)
0% / 100% 25% 50% 75%
Use a straightedge from center dot to perimeter ticks.
Color Key / Legend
Choice A: ____________
Choice B: ____________
Choice C: ____________
Choice D: ____________
Graphing Checklist:
Title clearly stated at top
Slices meet at center point
Each slice labeled with %
Distinct colors match key
3 Civic Analysis: What Does Our Data Tell Us?
1. Pattern & Trend: Which option was the community favorite, and what percentage of respondents chose it? Did this confirm your hypothesis?
2. Civic Recommendation: Based on this graph, what concrete action or change should our School Principal or Student Council make?
Final Score: ______ / 20 pts
Page 3 of 3 • Graph & Civic Action
School Voices Slides Ohio Social Studies • 5th Grade Inquiry
Civic Action Unit
School Voices:
Surveys & Circle Graphs
Investigating school community opinions, collecting field data, and visualizing decisions through circle graphs.
Field Survey Circle Graphing Civic Impact
Ohio Social Studies Inquiry
Why Do Active Citizens Survey?
Community Voice
Citizens cannot guess what others think. We must ask community members directly and listen carefully.
Hard Evidence
Opinions become facts when we count votes systematically. Reliable data drives fair school decisions.
Visual Clarity
Circle graphs reveal parts of a whole at a single glance. Decision-makers see priorities immediately.
Our Mission: Discover what students and staff want improved in our school building!
Step 1: Research Design
Crafting Fair, Unbiased Questions
Biased (Leading) Question
"Don't you agree that cafeteria pizza is terrible and we should serve tacos instead?"
Why it fails: It tells the person what to think and pushes them toward one specific answer.
Neutral (Fair) Question
"Which new lunch menu option would you most like to see on Fridays?"
Why it works: It gives 3 to 4 fair options with no pressure. Anyone can choose freely.
Rule: Always provide 3 to 5 clear, mutually exclusive choices. Teacher approval required before polling!
Step 2: Data Collection
Field Etiquette & Tallying
01
Polite Greeting
"Hello! May I ask you one quick question for our 5th grade social studies survey?"
Respect hallway quiet zones.
02
5-Gate Tallies
Record every vote with a tally mark. Close each bundle of five with a clean diagonal slash.
Count groups by 5s quickly!
03
Sample Goal: 20
Survey exactly 20 or 25 people. This makes converting votes into percentages easy and exact.
20 votes = each vote is 5%.
Always thank every participant, whether they are a kindergarten student, custodian, or teacher!
Step 3: Data Analysis
Converting Votes to Circle Slices
50%
Half the Circle
10 out of 20 votes
Fraction: \(\frac{1}{2}\) = 180° straight angle
25%
Circle Graph Field Guide Student Quick Reference Sheet
Circle Graph Field Guide
Converting Survey Tallies to Fractions, Percents, and Pie Slices
1. Benchmark Circle Slices (Mental Math Helpers)
50% = \(\frac{1}{2}\) 10 of 20 votes (180°) Straight Line
25% = \(\frac{1}{4}\) 5 of 20 votes (90°) Right Angle (Corner)
20% = \(\frac{1}{5}\) 4 of 20 votes (72°) 4 ticks on template
10% = \(\frac{1}{10}\) 2 of 20 votes (36°) 2 ticks on template
2. Rapid Conversion Reference Charts
If Total People = 20 1 vote = 5%
Votes Fraction Percent Ticks 1 vote 1/20 5% 1 tick 2 votes 2/20 = 1/10 10% 2 ticks 4 votes 4/20 = 1/5 20% 4 ticks 5 votes 5/20 = 1/4 25% 5 ticks 8 votes 8/20 = 2/5 40% 8 ticks 10 votes 10/20 = 1/2 50% 10 ticks
If Total People = 25 1 vote = 4%
Votes Fraction Percent Degrees 1 vote 1/25 4% 14.4° 3 votes 3/25 12% 43.2° 5 votes 5/25 = 1/5 20% 72° 7 votes 7/25 28% 100.8° 10 votes 10/25 = 2/5 40% 144° 15 votes 15/25 = 3/5 60% 216°
Formula for any total: \(\frac{\text{Votes}}{\text{Total}} \times 100 = \text{Percentage (\%)}\)
3. Step-by-Step Graph Construction Routine
1
Rank Categories
Order your options from largest vote count down to smallest.
2
Start at Top (0%)
Draw your first line straight up from the center dot to the 12 o'clock tick.
3
Count Ticks
School Voices Teacher Guide Teacher Instructional Guide & Lesson Plan
School Voices Survey & Graphing
Ohio Grade 5 Social Studies • Civic Participation & Data Literacy
Ohio Learning Standards Alignment
Social Studies Inquiry: Information from a variety of print/electronic sources and primary surveys is used to investigate community questions.Civic Participation: Citizens identify school community problems, evaluate perspectives, and propose constructive solutions.Data Skills: Organize raw data into tables and display in circle graphs to reveal patterns.
Core Learning Objectives
Formulate an unbiased, closed-ended survey question with 3 to 5 options.
Conduct polite, ethical polling to collect a controlled sample (\(N = 20\) or \(25\)).
Calculate fractions and percentages to construct an accurate circle graph.
Write an evidence-based civic recommendation for school leaders.
Multi-Day Instructional Sequence
Day 1 (45m) Proposal
Civic Inquiry & Questions
Launch slides 1–3. Discuss civic research. Form student pairs, choose school topic, and draft unbiased survey question.
Deliverable: Page 1 approved
Day 2 (40m) Field Work
School Survey Polling
Review Slide 4 (etiquette). Pairs survey 20 assigned students/staff in designated zones (hallways, cafeteria, specials).
Deliverable: Page 2 tallies done
Day 3 (50m) Math & Art
Circle Graphing
Slides 5–6 & Field Guide. Convert tallies into fractions & percents. Construct 20-tick circle graph with legend.
Deliverable: Page 3 graph complete
Day 4 (45m) Civic Voice
Analysis & School Action
Slide 7. Interpret findings. Draft civic action recommendations to share with Principal or Student Council representatives.
Deliverable: Presentation / memo
Building Survey Protocols
Notify grade-level teams and administrators in advance. Issue "Official Student Surveyor" badges. Assign pairs distinct school zones (e.g., Team A surveys 4th grade lunch, Team B surveys specials teachers) to avoid duplicate polling.
Differentiation Strategies
Support: Cap sample at exactly \(N = 20\) where each vote represents \(5\%\) (1 tick). Use colored counting cubes first.Extension: Introduce protractors to measure exact degrees (\(\frac{\text{votes}}{N} \times 360^\circ\)) for non-standard sample sizes (\(N = 28\)).
Circle Graph Showcase Sheet Community Circle Graph
Name:
Date:
Graph Title:
0% / 100% 25% 50% 75%
Each tick along the edge = 5% of votes (1 tick = 1 vote when N = 20)
Graph Key
Color each box to match its slice in the circle
Choice A:
% / Count
Choice B:
% / Count
Choice C:
% / Count
Choice D:
% / Count
Choice E (Optional):
% / Count
Total Sample (N):
= 100%
Ohio Social Studies Grade 5 • Student Data Display Final Circle Graph & Key
