LEARN NC

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

Graphing with food

Students will use a variety of foods to make graphs. Each food should be used for a separate lesson for a total of ten lessons.

A lesson plan for grade 1 Mathematics

By Bunnie R. Brewer

Learn more

Related pages

  • M&M math: Rotating to each station using M&M's, this lesson will allow students to add, graph, sort, and estimate.
  • Body graphing: "Body Graphing" is an interactive graphing activity involving manipulatives to compare graphing results. With the use of ropes and unifix cubes students will learn to compare and contrast their body with classmates. The graphing activity can be extended to graph differences with height, hair and eye color, and other physical attributes.
  • Dinosaur math: The children will be involved in several different activities (graphing, sorting and classifying, patterning) rotating to each station during the lesson.

Related topics

Help

Please read our disclaimer for lesson plans.

Legal

The text of this page is copyright ©2008. See terms of use. Images and other media may be licensed separately; see captions for more information and read the fine print.

Learning outcomes

Students will:

  • sort by a given attribute
  • graph the results of the sorting activity
  • answer questions about graphs

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

45 minutes

Materials/resources

  • Lucky Charms cereal
  • Christmas Crunch cereal
  • Candy Conversation Hearts
  • Teddy Grahams
  • Skittles
  • Apples
  • M&M’s
  • Gummy bears
  • Animal Crackers
  • Jelly beans

Activities

For each food, choose an attribute that will be used for sorting. Have students sort their food by the given attribute. Students then place their food directly on the graph in the appropriate space. Students then pick up the food (one at a time) eat it, and color the empty space.

Suggested attributes:

A blank chart is provided in case you use a different food for graphing.

Assessment

  • Completed graphs
  • Verbal answers to graphing questions

Supplemental information

A good book on graphing for primary grades is Graphing Primer by Dale Seymour Publications.

Comments

These graphs work very well with young children.

To extend the lessons, I sometimes add math problems using the sorting information. (Ex. __red + ___ green + ___blue = _______)

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.
  • Goal 5: Algebra - The learner will demonstrate an understanding of classification and patterning.