Enhancing Graphing Lesson with Technology

Bar Graphing

Standards Addressed:

Content Area: Mathematics

1. Visual displays are used to describe data

Standard 3: Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability

a.    Represent and interpret data. (CCSS: 3.MD)

                         i.         Draw a scaled picture graph and a scaled bar graph to represent a data set with several categories. (CCSS: 3.MD.3)

Learning Objective: Can I create a bar graph using my math dictionary?

Materials:

Magic Number pocket chart

Loose-leaf paper

8 Student iPads

Whiteboard iPad app

1 Teacher iPad with Apple TV

Students’ math dictionaries

Pencils

Dry erase markers, erasers, and small whiteboards

Computer, document camera, and projector

Anticipatory Set:

Warm-up board work to get students’ brains in math mode.

1.     Magic Number

-Projected on the whiteboard is a 4 digit number along with a number of prompts. Students must answer the prompts with help from their neighbors about the number on a half piece of paper to be turned in for me to check when they are finished.

Example: 6742

a.     Write in standard form

b.     Write in expanded form

c.      Write in word form

d.     Round to the nearest 10

e.     Round to the nearest 100

f.      Round to the nearest 1000

g.     Add 427

h.     Subtract from 10,000

i.       Multiply by 3

j.       Multiply by 7

k.     Divide by 4

l.       Divide by 9

Lesson:

2.     60 Second Question: What are all the parts of a graph you can think of? Students will write on small whiteboards at their desks.

3.     Ask students to provide the learning objective for the lesson based on the 60 second question.

4.     Using the iPad app Whiteboard and the Apple TV I will project blank graph paper up on the board. The students will pass the stylus pen and iPad around and several of them will place the necessary parts onto the graph. All students will be following along and creating the graph on their own small whiteboards.

a.     These are the parts that need to be included:

                                                        i.     Axis

                                                       ii.     Title

                                                     iii.     Labels

                                                     iv.     Scale

                                                       v.     Data (bars)

5.     I will use the iMac Desktop Computer, the Document camera, and the ceiling mounted projector to project my math dictionary on the whiteboard. I will draw a simple graph with all the pieces labeled for the students to copy into their math dictionaries.

a.     All the students and I keep a math dictionary, which is a composition notebook where we keep notes about every topic we learn about. I do not grade these. They are strictly for the students’ reference.

b.     I also post the pages I write in my math dictionary online on my website so if students are struggling with their homework they can consult my lesson notes to help them.

6.     Introduce graphing project.

a.     I will place the students in similar ability groups of 3 students. The students need to work together to come up with what question they want to graph and what age group they want to survey to get that information.

b.     We will have a class discussion of the project and the students will decide what the rubric should be for grading the final product.

c.      They will then use the iPads to type their question and possible answer choices and email it to a teacher of their choice. That teacher will then poll their class and email the results back.

d.     Students need to take that data and create a tally chart on the iPads in the Whiteboard app.

e.     From the tally chart they will create a bar graph in the Whiteboard app and save it.

f.      When they are done with their graph they need to write a paragraph summary of their data analysis to include the following information:

                                                        i.     Is the data what you expected it to be? Why or why not?  

                                                       ii.     Which bar is the biggest? What does that mean?

                                                     iii.     Which bar is the smallest? What does that mean? 

                                                     iv.     Do you think the data would be different if we asked Kindergarteners? Why or why not?

                                                       v.     Do you think the data would be different if we asked only boys? Why or why not?

                                                     vi.     Do you think the data would be different if we asked teachers?  Why or why not?

7.     I will project the student’s graphs on the whiteboard using the Apple TV while the students present their findings and read their analysis summaries to the class.

Formative Assessment:

8.     I will be grading their magic number papers to assess their number sense and understating.

9.     I will be taking anecdotal notes and circulating to monitor student groups as they work on their graphing project.

Summative Assessment:

10. Their final project will be graded using the rubric the class created.

11. I will also give the students a grade for their oral presentation skills.

Closure:

12. We close the class by discussing how we use math in real life. When outside of school would we need to use a bar graph? What jobs need to know how to use bar graphs? We write our ideas on a piece of paper on our math corkboard.