Grade 3 Graphing Exercise

Computer Assisted Learning Activity
Grade Three: Data Management & Probability
Graphing Party Foods

Notes to Teacher: (student instructions part 1, part 2, part 3) (tally sheet) (printing instructions)

What is Graphers?

Graphers is a data-graphing tool for young students. They create pictorial data chosen from over 30 data sets and arrange the objects on the screen. They can represent their data on a table with six types of graphs - pictographs, bar graphs, circle graphs, loops, grid plots, and line graphs.

Graphers also lets students create and change graphs dynamically by clicking on the graphs themselves. It provides many ways to modify graphs, such as adding grid lines or changing the axis scale. Students add titles and labels. A built-in notebook lets students record their results. Graphs and notebook entries can be printed.

Graphers is a tool for graphing data that can be sorted or counted. Young students can easily manipulate data and create graphs using simple point, click and drag motions with the mouse.

Expectations Being Evaluated

Mathematics (Grade 3)

Overall Expectations:

sort, classify and cross-classify objects and data;
collect and organize data;
interpret displays of data, present the information, and discuss it using mathematical language;

Specific Expectations:

relate objects to number on a graph with many-to-one correspondence (e.g., 1 Canadian flag represents 100 Canadian citizens);
construct bar graphs (with discrete classes on one axis and number on the other) and pictographs using scales with multiples of 2, 5, and 10;
interpret data from graphs (e.g., bar graphs, pictographs, and circle graphs);

Prior Knowledge/Learning

- Students should have had many opportunities to collect data using a variety of surveys etc. before beginning this task

- Many opportunities to manually sort, classify and discuss different types of data

- An understanding of the different types of graph (bar, circle, pictograph) and how to interpret them

- Practice using the Graphers program to create and sort simple data would be beneficial

Teaching/Learning Strategies

This is a fairly in-depth task. In order to keep it manageable for the students and the teacher, it has been broken down into three parts (part 1, part 2, part 3). Teachers may decide when and how to have students complete all three parts.

TASK: Students are planning food for a birthday party for 10 people. They will use the tally sheet provided to asked 10 of their classmates about their food choices for the party.

Part I:

1. The teacher may wish to demonstrate the activity to students as a whole class before beginning this activity.

2. Collecting data - distribute attached tally sheet or come up with another tally sheet that students can use to collect information from 10 classmates.

3. Students take completed tally sheets to the computer and follow the Student Instructions to enter their data and save it as a data set.

Part II:

4. Displaying data - students go independently to the computer and follow the steps on the Student Instructions sheets to sort the data entered from the tally sheets and create a Circle Graph.

5. Interpreting Data - Students will use the Notebook part of the program to answer the following questions about their sorted data and Circle graph:

Sorted data:

1) What do you notice about the data?
2) Estimate how many people want chocolate chip cookies.

Circle graph:

3) Which is the most popular fruit?
4) Which is the least popular fruit?

Part III:

6. Displaying data - students go independently to the computer and follow student instructions to open saved work and create a bar graph and a pictograph.

7. Interpreting Data - students will use the Notebook part of the program to answer the following questions about their bar graphs:

Bar graph:

5) How many people chose vanilla ice cream?
6) How many more people chose chocolate ice cream?

Pictograph:

7) What is the total number of people who want cheese pizza?
8) Which toppings are the 2 closest in votes?

8. Teacher may wish to print individual responses and attach to printed graphs to go into student portfolios. (See the instructions for printing.)

Assessment Strategies

The teacher may want to use the following rubric to assess students process and product.

Knowledge/Skills Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

Understanding of Concepts
- one-to-one correspondence of data in graphs;
- data may be represented in several ways;
- demonstrates a very limited understanding of few of the required concepts by providing partial explanations; - demonstrates a limited under-standing of some of required concepts by providing incomplete explanations; - demonstrates a general under-standing of most of required concepts by providing complete explanations; - demonstrates a in-depth understanding of all of required concepts by providing thorough explanations;

Application ofMathematical Procedures
- correctly represents data;
- requires direct assistance to follow step-by-step instructions to create a variety of graphs;
- several major errors;
- requires some assistance to follow step-by-step instructions to create a variety of graphs;
- several minor errors or omissions;
- independently follows step-by- step instructions to create a variety of graphs;
- few minor errors or omissions;
- independently follows step-by-step instructions to create a variety of graphs;
- no errors or omissions;
- assists others in following instructions;

Communication of Required Knowledge
- interpreting data and answering questions related to the graph;
- provides answers that are incomplete or incorrect and rarely incorporates mathematical terms;
- requires direct assistance;
- provides answers with some clarity by using few mathematical terms;
- some assistance required;
- provides clear answers incorporating appropriate mathematical terms;
- independent;
- provides clear answers with justification, using a range of mathematical terms;
- independently, supports others;

Knowledge/Skills	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4
Understanding of Concepts *- one-to-one correspondence of data in graphs;* *- data may be represented in several ways;*	- demonstrates a very limited understanding of few of the required concepts by providing partial explanations;	- demonstrates a limited under-standing of some of required concepts by providing incomplete explanations;	- demonstrates a general under-standing of most of required concepts by providing complete explanations;	- demonstrates a in-depth understanding of all of required concepts by providing thorough explanations;
Application ofMathematical Procedures *- correctly represents data;*	- requires direct assistance to follow step-by-step instructions to create a variety of graphs; - several major errors;	- requires some assistance to follow step-by-step instructions to create a variety of graphs; - several minor errors or omissions;	- independently follows step-by- step instructions to create a variety of graphs; - few minor errors or omissions;	- independently follows step-by-step instructions to create a variety of graphs; - no errors or omissions; - assists others in following instructions;
Communication of Required Knowledge *- interpreting data and answering questions related to the graph;*	- provides answers that are incomplete or incorrect and rarely incorporates mathematical terms; - requires direct assistance;	- provides answers with some clarity by using few mathematical terms; - some assistance required;	- provides clear answers incorporating appropriate mathematical terms; - independent;	- provides clear answers with justification, using a range of mathematical terms; - independently, supports others;