Data
Also known as: Things You Wrote Down
Data is things you wrote down so you can count them later and find out what really happened.
On Monday you think you sold a lot. On Friday you think Monday was better. You are guessing, and guessing is fun but it is not the same as knowing.
So you write it down. Monday: six cups. Tuesday: two cups. Wednesday: nine cups, and it was very hot outside.
Now you can look at your notes and see something real. Hot days sell more lemonade. You did not have to argue about it with anybody. The notes just said so.
Color this: make a chart with five days. Color one square for every cup you sold. Which day is tallest?
For the grown-up holding the crayon box:
Write it down, then look, is the entire scientific habit, and it is also what separates a business decision from an opinion. The child who colors the tall Wednesday bar has run their first analysis.