Venn diagrams, Carroll diagrams and pictograms
🎯 In this topic you will
- Develop an understanding of Venn diagrams.
- Explore Carroll diagrams and pictograms.
🧠 Key Words
- Carroll diagram
- data
- label
- pictogram
- title
Show Definitions
- Carroll diagram: A chart used to sort information into groups based on two different properties.
- data: Facts or information that are collected for analysis or reference.
- label: A word or phrase used to name or describe parts of a diagram or chart.
- pictogram: A type of graph that uses pictures or symbols to represent data.
- title: The heading of a chart or diagram that tells what the information is about.
Understanding Pictograms
A pictogram is a chart that uses pictures to show data. Pictograms use columns or rows of pictures to show the numbers involved. A pictogram must have a title to explain what each picture represents.

Organising Data with Carroll Diagrams
A Carroll diagram is used to organise data using a set of rules. For example, you can sort a set of shapes into shapes with curved sides and shapes with straight sides.

❓ EXERCISES
1. Talk to your partner.
Where would you put these animals in the Venn diagram?
Write the letters in the correct places in the diagram.

👀 Show answer
The rest stay outside the circle: $A, B, D, F, H$.
2. Draw lines to sort the pairs of shoes into the circles.

Complete the pictogram by drawing the pairs of shoes in the table.

Which colour has the most shoes? ______
👀 Show answer
The colour with the greatest number of pairs is $black$.
3. Draw lines to sort the toys into the correct boxes using the Carroll diagram.

👀 Show answer
Toys without wheels: teddy bear, ball, blocks, bucket and spade, doll.
4. Work with a partner.
Sort the numbers into odd and not odd.
Write them on the Carroll diagram.
👀 Show answer
Not odd (even) numbers: $2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20$.
5. This pictogram shows favourite sports.
Write 3 things you can see from the pictogram.
Use the words more, less/fewer, most and least/fewest.
| Favourite sport | Number of children who chose it |
|---|---|
| Swimming | $7$ |
| Riding a horse | $5$ |
| Archery | $6$ |
| Running | $4$ |
👀 Show answer
Running has the fewest children.
More children chose archery than riding a horse.
6. This Venn diagram shows how shapes have been sorted.
Write 3 things you can see from the Venn diagram.
Use the words more, less/fewer, most and least/fewest.

👀 Show answer
More shapes are outside the circle than inside.
The group with fewer than $4$ sides has the least shapes.
🧠 Think like a Mathematician
Task: Here is an empty pictogram. It needs a title. What could the title be?

What to do:
- Spin the spinner $5$ times.
- After each spin, draw a matching colour ball in a square of the pictogram.
- Always start from the left and do not leave any gaps.
- When you finish, look carefully at your completed pictogram.
Follow-up Questions:
Show Answers
- 1: A suitable title could be “Spinner colour results” or “Number of times each colour was spun”.
- 2: This depends on the results of your spins. The colour that appears most often in your pictogram is the answer.
- 3: The longest line is the row with the greatest number of coloured balls.

