LEARN NC

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

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.

A lesson plan for grade 1 Mathematics

By patsy morgan

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

  • count using tally marks.
  • make a reasonable estimate of “how many.”
  • sort by a given attribute.
  • describe objects by their attribute.
  • gather, organize data as a group activity.
  • graph the results of a sorting activity.
  • to answer questions about charts and graphs.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

40 Minutes

Materials/resources

  • paper for each student
  • pencils and crayons for each student
  • a graphing sheet for each student (use a new form each time a new attribute is graphed)
  • Different colored rope or yarn (needs to be 6-8 feet long) for different attributes to be graphed (the amount of yarn needed will depend on how many different attributes you graph during one activity)
  • unifix cubes (for each student)
  • markers (for teacher use only)
  • a large graphing chart

Technology resources

None

Pre-activities

Students should have previous experience with sorting by attributes. This lesson may be used as an introductory to graphing or graghing with grids.

Activities

  1. Begin the lesson by discussing how we are all different.
  2. Discuss the physical attributes that we have.
  3. Have students select as a group an attribute to compare and graph.
  4. On the floor place the colored yarn to form large circles. Make a circle for each attribute, such as, circle for black hair and a circle for brown hair. Have the students stand in a circle for their particular hair color.
  5. Have one student from each group count aloud how many are in the circle. The teacher needs to write this on chart paper.
  6. Have the students go to their desk to stack unifix cubes one for each student in their circle. Have a student from each circle come to the front of the room to compare stacks of cubes.
  7. (Discuss words such as, more, less, larger, smaller, fewer.)
  8. Next have the students to go to their desk to draw a head showing their hair color. This is used to make a large class graph for the wall.
  9. After each student has placed his/her drawing on the graph, discuss the results of the graph.
  10. To extend the activity for independent or small group practice, give each student a copy of a graphing grid.
  11. The students may use the large graph to make their own copy. This will give the students extended practice with using grid paper to make a graph.

Suggested Attributes:

  • hair
  • feet
  • eye color
  • hair color
  • height
  • long hair/short hair
  • freckles/no freckles

Assessment

Completed classroom graphs
Written or verbal answers to questions
Thumbs up or down to verbal questions

Supplemental information

None

Related websites

N/A

Comments

None

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.