Two-Way Tables and Frequency Trees

January 1, 2021

Under exam conditions, students normally achieve most, if not all the marks, when asked to complete a two-way table or frequency tree. Because of this, I wanted to link two-way tables and frequency trees to topics that students who are aiming for a grade 4 often struggle with.

These topics include: fractions, percentages, ratio and simplifying expressions. My intention is that by embedding these skills within a context students are confident with they are more likely to have greater resilience if they find the calculations difficult.

Two-Way Tables and Frequency Trees Tutorials

Two-Way Tables and Frequency Trees

In this problem solving lesson there are five problems, each with fully worked solutions and a student handout. Below are two sample questions, a non-calculator problem with frequency trees and a calculator question with two-way tables.

Frequency Trees

To work out the number of girls and boys in the first branch of the frequency tree students need to share the sample by a ratio.

To work out the second branches students calculate a fraction of an amount.

Finally, when the tree is completed students can work out the probability.

Two-Way Tables

This is a calculator question with links to:

• proportional reasoning
• sharing an amount to a ratio
• fractions of an amount
• percentages of an amount
• writing one number as a percentage of another.

Teach this lesson

Share this article…

About Mr Mathematics

My name is Jonathan Robinson and I am passionate about teaching mathematics. I am currently Head of Maths in the South East of England and have been teaching for over 15 years. I am proud to have helped teachers all over the world to continue to engage and inspire their students with my lessons.

If you liked this you may like …