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

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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

Pre-activities

Discuss attributes and various ways of sorting.

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 grade 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 1: Number and Operations - The learner will read, write, and model whole numbers through 99 and compute with whole numbers.
    • Objective 1.01: Develop number sense for whole numbers through 99.
      • Connect the model, number word, and number using a variety of representations.
      • Use efficient strategies to count the number of objects in a set.
      • Read and write numbers.
      • Compare and order sets and numbers.
      • Build understanding of place value (ones, tens).
      • Estimate quantities fewer than or equal to 100.
      • Recognize equivalence in sets and numbers 1-99.
  • 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.