Graphs galore

This lesson will allow students to conduct surveys from a selected number of people. Then the students will be able to use this data to create various kinds of graphs. After completion of the graphs, they will analyze their data and then draw conclusions from this data.

A lesson plan for grade 3 Computer/Technology Skills and Mathematics

By Alta Allen

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  This lesson plan is a unit filled with related lesson plans. One or two parts of this project could be completed as a stand-alone lesson, or the entire set of activities and extensions could be completed for an involved, integrated unit.

Related topics

• Learn more about data analysis, data collection, graphing, and mathematics.

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Learning outcomes

The student will be able to:

• collect data from a chosen population.
• assimilate that data using a graphing program (The Graph Club or other graphing program).
• analyze completed graphs.
• draw conclusions from data.
• formulate a document using a word processing tool, stating at least 5 different observations drawn from the results of the survey.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

3-5 days

Materials/resources

• Data Collection Instrument Sheet
• Rubric Sheet

Technology resources

• Computer loaded with a software program to create graphs (spreadsheet programs like Excel, ClarisWorks spreadsheet, or The Graph Club) and a word processing program such as Clarisworks, Microsoft Works, Word, or The Student Writing Center.
• Computer hooked to a TV or LCD Presentation system for whole class lessons is desirable. If this is not available, then students can be arranged around the computer in levels (sitting on the floor, sitting in chairs, and standing in the back) for viewing.

Pre-activities

• Teacher should model this lesson using a topic of his/her choice before allowing students to conduct their own individual surveys. (Teacher might select students’ birthdays distributed by seasons or months of the year --depending on the graphing program that is used and how many items can be placed on that graphing program — favorite season, favorite day of the week, favorite cartoon, or another topic that the teacher would like to survey.)
• Teacher should go through the formal process of asking each student to respond to the chosen topic and recording this data on the Data Collection Instrument.
• After data has been collected, a demonstration (using the results from the survey recorded on the data collection table) showing the of various kinds of graphs that can be created should be done as a whole class activity. (Use The Graph Club or other graphing program.) Remember to refer to the x-axis and y-axis as you are modeling.
• After the teacher completes the graphing of the collected data, the class will analyze the graph results. As the students analyze the graph, they will draw conclusions from this data.
• The teacher will record this data using a word processing program as the students formulate their conclusions. (The Student Writing Center is an excellent program for elementary students, but any word processing program will work.)
• Both the graphs and the conclusions/observations should be printed for display.
• The same process will be used by the students to conduct their own surveys. The difference in the class survey and the individual student survey will be the “number” of the population surveyed. (Teacher’s number will equal the number of students in the class.) (I assign the survey itself as a homework assignment. I give them a couple of days to collect this data.)
• I conferenced with each student before they began their assignment. I wanted to know what they would be surveying so that there would be a variety of topics selected.
• The students are asked to survey twenty-five people. (This number can vary according to the grade level of the students and the specific objectives of that grade level.) For third grade we do twenty-five so that we can see symbols/scales that represents multiple units.
• A selection of different topics to be surveyed should be generated by students in a brainstorming activity prior to conducting surveys. Suggestions of types of surveys are: Favorite Ice Cream, Favorite Color, Favorite Sport, Favorite Fruit, Favorite Vegetable, Favorite Burger King Food, Favorite School Lunch, Favorite Pie, and many others that students will generate in this activity.

Activities

After teacher models collecting data for a survey described in the Pre-Activities Section, then the next part of this lesson is to allow the students to conduct their own individual surveys.

Begin Student Activity with:

1. Assign as homework: Conduct a survey of twenty-five people finding out what their favorite ___________ is from your list of five choices. Record their responses on you Data Collection Instrument. Be sure to place a title on your sheet and total each column as directed on the DCI (Data Collection Instrument).

   REMEMBER: I conference with each student before this assignment goes home to make sure they understand what they will be surveying and also to ensure that I have a variety of topics surveyed.

2. Allow students a couple of days to gather this data.
3. When students are finished collecting data on their DCI, then the actual data will be recorded using The Graph Club or some other graphing program.
4. Allow sufficient time for this to be done. Teacher should monitor the input of this data to ensure that students are correctly recording their data into the software program.
5. Students will then create graphs for printing.
6. Using the published graphs, students should write 5 observations or conclusions that are true from their graphs. These 5 observations should then be typed using a word processing program. Correct grammar, puncutation, and spelling should be used. Please remind students to use the spell check but also they need to self-edit for other mistakes that the computer doesn’t always see. Peer-editing is also good to use during this part of the lesson. Print this document and attach it to the student’s graphs.
7. Have students give an oral presentation of their findings to the entire class.
8. Point out and discuss again how this activity is an authentic application to real-life data collection.
9. Display Data Collection Instrument, graphs, and observations for all to see.
10. Attached Rubric (Graphs Galore Rubric.rtf) will be used to assess student’s work. I give the rubric to the students at the beginning of this assignment, and we discuss what is required of them. I usually do this after they bring in their homework where they have completed their Data Collection Instrument. I also emphasize these requirements as the graph creating session on the computers is being done.

Assessment

Students will be assessed with attached Rubric

Printed materials will also be used for oral presentations.

Supplemental information

Within the context of the teacher’s lesson, students should understand how surveys are used in society and see the connections between real-life applications and classroom applications.

Comments

This lesson plan was constructed for third grade objectives from the North Carolina Standard Course of Study; however, it can be adjusted to fit any grade level objectives that would involve conducting surveys and compiling information to create graphs.