Graphs are visual representations of data. Even young children can enjoying creating hands-on graphs (even though we don’t necessarily have to use that term quite yet). Making graphs is great practice in math!
I rounded up some different “modes” of transportation we have laying around our house for this graphing activity. Big Brother understood much more than I thought he would!
1. Here’s what you’ll need: a pre-made graph on posterboard (see instructions below), 3 index cards, and various items to graph. In this case, we used what he have a lot of around here–cars, trains, tractors, etc. If you don’t have a lot of these toys around your house, you can just use whatever you have on hand that can be easily organized into groups.
2. Take a blank posterboard and draw 4 rows and 3 columns (as you can see, mine aren’t straight or equally-spaced–if you are OCD about this kind of thing, use a ruler). Write the numbers going vertically up the left side of the graph.
5. Gather your items to be graphed.
7. Keep going!
9. Talk about which group has the most, the least, etc.
Put the blank graph is a safe place for another time!
Extension idea: Add more rows and increase the number of objects you are graphing.
Great idea! I am loving your new blog. Thanks for all the work you are putting into this. You are pretty amazing!
What a great idea! I'm a former first grade teacher too!
-Kara
http://littlelearnerslounge.blogspot.com/
I really like the way you used toys instead of pictures or photographs! :)
What a fun activity!! First grade teacher here, too!!! :) My son is so into all things that move, he would love this!! In fact, I just made him a little transportation card to give his Daddy for his birthday. One of the only things he can focus on is cars, trucks, etc! Thanks for sharing this!
Love this idea and LOVE how you can reuse and repeat the learning experience by simply changing the items, and adding more rows as they grow :)
I like the use of toys too. Thanks for all your good ideas here, very helpful for this homeschooling mom!
Love it. We did a graphing activity for a little older children on paper and with candy hearts for V-day. So much fun. We sorted by color and then placed them by color ( I wrote the name and used markers over the name to help the kids who could not read). Then the older kids recorded the number they counted and the younger ones I wrote as they dictacted the number. Then I asked which had greater and which had the least. Note: Only the 5 year old could get least. The others (3 and 4 year olds) got most or greatest. They all had fun. Especially eating the manipulatives.
This is a great first graphing activity! So much more interesting for the little ones than just marks on paper, Linking this up in my post on graping at Preschool Universe.
What age group does this activity work best for? Im trying to find a math lesson for class…