Curriculum Guides

Grade Level: Kindergarten

Content Areas: Statistics

Skillss: Graphing

Prerequisites:

Instructional Practices: Reasoning, Communication, Problem Solving

Materials Needed: graphing grid paper, paper symbols for graph

Technology: Math Concepts

Activity:

Use graphing as a way for kindergarteners to learn more about each other. Graph to find out how many boys/girls are in the class; hair color; eye color; how they come to school; how many people are in their family; what type of pets they have; whether they live in a house, a trailer or an apartment; their birthday month; etc. Have the children tell what the graph shows. Write at least one sentence dictated by the children about the graph. Display the graphs in one area if possible. When the graphs are taken down, bind the graphs along with the dictated sentences into a big book that children can "read" at book time. Save some of the graphs for comparison with next year's class.

Variation:

Graph and make a big book of "Our Favorite Things." Graphs can include favorite color, favorite cartoon, favorite TV program, favorite Nintendo game, favorite ice cream flavor, favorite superhero, favorite pet, favorite equipment on the playground, etc.

Theme Ideas:

MATH THEIR WAY, Chapter 6, by Mary Baratta-Lorton is an excellent resource for ideas about graphing. There are a variety of graphs to fit with many themes.