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K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Graphing the week's temperature

Students will collect data, create a graph, and analyze information about the temperatures for a week using Graph Club Software.

A lesson plan for grades 1–2 Mathematics and Science

By Maureen King

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

  • collect temperature data over a week
  • create a graph that records the data collected
  • analyze information about the temperatures

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

5 days

Materials/resources

  • paper
  • pencil
  • thermometer

Technology resources

  • Computer
  • Graph Club Software

Activities

  1. The teacher will assist the students in reading the temperature each day for one week (Monday-Friday). Using the information gathering worksheet, each student will record the temperature data each day. Students will then use this data to make a graph on the computer using the Graph Club Software program.
  2. Instruct the students to open the Graph Club Program on the computer. Have them skip the introduction and then select “Make A Graph.” Click the “OK” box. In preparation for this graphing activity the students will need to click on “Graph” at the top of the page. Then click on “Make 5 Kinds.” Return to the Graph section, click on “Change Maximum” and select “100.”
  3. Now the students are ready to begin entering their data on the table. Under the section “What?”, the students will click on the first animal and type in the word “Monday.” Then click on the second animal and type in the word “Tuesday,” continue on until they have entered the word “Friday.” On the other side of the table under “How Many?”, the students will type in the corresponding temperature for each day of the week from their data sheet.
  4. To create the graph the students click on “Graph” and select: “Make a different kind of graph”. A bar graph will appear next to the table. The students can answer the question on the worksheet using the bar graph and table that is on their screen or they can print the graph and answer the questions at a later date.
  5. To print the table and graph the students need to follow the directions below:
    • Select “File”
    • Under file select “Print Graph”
    • Check the boxes at the top of the page: “Table, and Bar”
    • Check the box that says “Title”
    • Type in a title in the box.
    • Check the box that says “Description”
    • Type your name in the box next to Description.
  6. Using the bar graph, the students answer the questions on the worksheet.

Assessment

The assessment will be based on the student’s ability to gather and record the temperature information on the temperature recording sheet with 85-100% accuracy. Then the student will apply the information from the recording sheet and create a weather graph using the Graph Club software program with 85-100% accuracy.

The assessment will also based on the completion of the assessment worksheet. The student will complete the worksheet with 85-100% accuracy.

Supplemental information

Example of student work.

North Carolina curriculum alignment

Mathematics (2004)

Grade 1

  • Goal 4: Data Analysis and Probability - The learner will understand and use data and simple probability concepts.
    • Objective 4.01: Collect, organize, describe and display data using line plots and tallies.
    • Objective 4.02: Describe events as certain, impossible, more likely or less likely to occur.

  • Common Core State Standards

    • Mathematics (2010)

      • Grade 1

        • Measurement & Data
          • 1.MD.4 Organize, represent, and interpret data with up to three categories; ask and answer questions about the total number of data points, how many in each category, and how many more or less are in one category than in another.

        • Grade 2

          • 2.MD.9 Generate measurement data by measuring lengths of several objects to the nearest whole unit, or by making repeated measurements of the same object. Show the measurements by making a line plot, where the horizontal scale is marked off in whole-number...

    • North Carolina Essential Standards

      • Science (2010)

        • 2.E.1 Understand patterns of weather and factors that affect weather. 2.E.1.1 Summarize how energy from the sun serves as a source of light that warms the land, air and water. 2.E.1.2 Summarize weather conditions using qualitative and quantitative measures...