Title: The Graph Club
Publisher: Tom Snyder Productions
Date Published: 1996
Platform: Windows and Mac
Content Area: Math (Graphing)
Content Description: The software includes four different modes that students can choose to work with. The explore mode displays two graphs side by side. The student can see that one a change is made on one graph, the other graph changes simultaneously. This is useful to compare the way data looks on different types of graphs. Match mode generates a graph and students are asked to fill in the blank graph to match the existing one. Create mode allows the student to enter his or her own data into a blank table to create his or her own graph and then view it in different ways. Guess mode generates a graph and encourages the student to figure out what the graph may represent.
Instructional Type: Drill and Practice, Simulation, Problem Solving, Game, Tool
Strengths/Weaknesses: This is a great tool for students to compare different types of graphs. It is also simple for the student to simply click and drag to create his or her own graph. The one weakness I found was that there are no on screen instructions for the student. The teacher must read the instructions from the manual for the students. I would like to use this software with my students. By using this software I could make lessons on graphing more interesting and meaningful for students. Students can easily manipulate the graphs and see how the graphs change and how different graphs look with the same data. Students are also given a sense of ownership when they can easily create their own data sets and graphs.
Rating: 9 - The only drawback is the lack of instructions onscreen for students. Students may need reminders and visual cues to help them along with the activities.
User Comments: "I feel The Graph Club will revolutionize the teaching of graphing skills at the primary level. It is easy and fun to create graphs, and I was very pleased at how well my Kindergarteners analyzed the changes taking place as they place the icons for their choices in the graph. Since they were all able to participate in the creation of the graph, they felt as though the graph reflected their thoughts and feelings. I posted the graphs we made and the children remained highly interested in assessing the printouts long after the lessons were finished."
--Karen Bryant, Kindergarten teacher, Apple Early
Learning Connections = Demonstration Site,
Links: http://www.tomsnyder.com/classroom/tips/tips_graphclub.aspThis site has tips for using Graph Club in the classroom. http://www.gp.k12.mi.us/ci/ce/gc/graphclub.htm This site has many resources for using the Graph Club, including lesson plans. http://www.classroom.com/edsoasis/TGuild/Lessons/Weather.html This site is a weather lesson using Graph Club.