Math: Data Analysis and Probability

Pre-K-8: Instructional programs from Pre-Kindergarten through grade 12 should enable all students to formulate questions that can be addressed with data and collect, organize and display relevant data to answer them.

• In Pre-Kindergarten through grade 2, all students should represent data using concrete objects, pictures and graphs.
• In grades 3-5, all students should represent data using tables and graphs such as line plots, bar graphs and line graphs.
• In grades 6-8, all students should select, create and use appropriate graphical representations of data, including histograms, box plots and scatter plots.
  

Standards are listed with permission from Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, copyright 2000 by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). NCTM does not endorse the content or validity of these alignments.

Source: Principles and Standards for School Mathematics

Create a unique birthday graph to track student birthdays per month for the calendar year. Consider a fun ice-breaker prior to graphing, where students interview each other to gather data about the birthday months. Collect the information as a class and represent as this fun birthday chart. Post this chart on an all-about-me bulletin board or near the class calendar.

Supplies Used: Construction Paper, Glue, Black Marking Pen, Chart Paper, Poster Board

The teacher will die-cut the materials for student use prior to the lesson.

1. Die-cut the Graph from two sheets of yellow construction paper.
2. Die-cut twelve 1" Circles for the Graph.
3. Print numbers, months of the year, axis labels and title for the Graph. Be sure that the numbers and words are no more than 1" tall.
4. Use a paper cutter or hand-cut the numbers, months, labels and title.
5. Overlap the two sheets of Graph paper to create a larger Graph. Alternately, cut along the perforation of the second sheet and place next to the first one. Adhere the Graph paper to the center of a poster board or chart.
6. Mat the title and adhere to the top of the chart.
7. Adhere numbers along the vertical axis and months along the horizontal axis.
8. Adhere the axis labels.
9. Use the Circles to graph the data and adhere.
10. Connect the Circles with black marking pen (see Main Photo).

Note:The teacher can create as large a Graph as desired by die-cutting several sheets of Graph paper and arranging them next to one another as needed.