This year our grade level decided to use graphing as our first unit in math. We decided this because there are so many fun, hands on activities that can be done with graphing to engage and excite the children about math. Also, there are so many beginning of the school year things to graph: how children go home, birthdays, and other ideas as we get to know each other.
This year we started out graphing our favorite apples. This was a VERY telling activity because it required using glue, scissors and following directions. I learned about my students…I learned .A.BUNCH. It gave me a good clue of their strengths and weaknesses this year. In this activity students taste test apples, create a pictograph, bar graph, create a tally chart, create a glyph, and answer simple questions about both kinds of graphs.
Mandy Gregory is a 2007 and 2012 Teacher of the Year. She has taught Kindergarten- 4th grades in both the general education and inclusion settings. She is currently a 1st grade Special Education teacher. She is the owner and creator of Mandy’s Tips for Teachers website (www.mandystipsforteachers.com) and has over 13 years of teaching experience. She is married with two beautiful children.
