Chandra E. Price - Burnham Inclusive Academy 

Environmental Graphing/Eco Graphs

Chandra E. Price               Burnham Inclusive Academy 
                               1903 E. 96th St.         
                               CHICAGO IL 60617
                               (773) 535-6530 

Objective(s): 

Grade levels 2nd through 4th 
Duration: 1 week

Students will be able to:
1.  define what a graph is
2.  use vocabulary words associated with graphs
3.  note how graphing is a part of our everyday lives

Materials Needed: 

List vocabulary words associated with graphing ---hypothesis, control, graph, 
prediction, set, relationships greater than (<), less than (>), equal (=), 
percent and symbol (%), average, data, compare, centimeter grid, fractions, 
grid, balance, mass, paper, pencil chalk, raisin bread, M & M, crayons, birthday 
hots, graph paper, magnifying glasses, paper clips, scissors, masking tape and 
dittos.

Strategy: 

Activity-1 Bar/Human Graph...Students will be introduced to bar and human graphs 
by way of an individual and group activity.  They will work in groups of three 
and circulate around the room and report back to the group how many people were 
born in what month of the year.  They will use data tables with the months of 
the year and a place to record students names.   Next, the students will make 
birthday hats (Note: create their own hat), and make a human graph.  Finally, 
they will go back and record their data on their data sheets.  (Note: Data will 
be recorded on a teacher made graph chart which can be displayed either on the 
blackboard, overhead or floor). 

Activity-2 HOW MANY RAISINS ARE IN RAISIN BREAD?....Students will be introduced 
to the term estimation.  Using everyday items, such as raisin bread they will 
estimate and use the actual results of their findings.  This will also allow them 
to sort, compare, record and eat their results. 

Activity-3 YOU GOT THE BLUES?.....Students will get added reinforcement of the 
term estimation by using M & M's or Skittles to see if one color of the candy is 
more prevalent than another.  This will be done when students are given 
individual bags of M & M's or Skittles to actually see for themselves. They must 
sort, compare and count colors.  Then, they will group the colors, note how many 
of each color their are and record their findings.  (Note: Depending on the age 
level students will solve problems of greater or less than, and /or percent.) 
They will again see how graphing relates to our lives. 

Activity-4  Spinning Ghosts??????   The students will be able to hypothesize 
which Ghost will spin.  Students will obtain four paper clips and five ghost 
patterns. They will number (1-5) and cut out the patterns, and place one of the 
paper clips on different locations of 4 of 5 ghosts.  The remaining ghost 
that doesn't have a paper clip will be the control.  The questions for the 
students will be what causes the ghost to spin?  (Note: Students need to diagram 
each ghost and location of the paper clip on a separate sheet of paper).  Using 
their numbered GHOSTS they are to place their findings on a wall chart. 

Performance Assessment:

1. oral assessment of each activity.  (informally)
2. written evaluation of objectives and key concepts.  
    (multiple choice and essay)
3. Tape recording of lesson.
4. Video of lesson

Conclusions:

With 80% accuracy, the students will be able to explain orally how graphs affect 
our every day life. 
                                                                            
References:
     
Aims Educational Foundation, September 1991.

Aims Educational Foundation, October 1986.

Math and Graphs.  Donna Kay Buck and Frances Hildebrand.  Critical Thinking Day 
Software. 1995. 

Aims Fall into Math. Midwest Publication, 1996.