Name:  Mary Teague and Mandy Reid

Grade Level:  1st Grade

Teacher Materials Needed:
*One-pint size jar of M&M’s

Student Materials Needed:
*small baggies (one for each group of students) with m&m’s in them equaling the amount in the jar divided among them
*8 ½ by 11in. charts (need as many as the number of groups you plan to have)
 *worksheet to put tally marks to count the m&m’s by color

My Mathematical Goals for this Lesson:
*Begin to assess students’ prediction skills and logic of estimation.
*Assess their counting ability of more than 20.
*Have a beginning math activity that allows all students to enter the problem and feel comfortable.
*Begin to appreciate the value of working in groups and talking about math.
*Build on math concepts such as estimation and prediction, counting by tally marks, and sorting by attributes.

Related NC Standard Course of Study Goals/Objectives:
Grade 1:
1.01 Count using one-to-one correspondence to 30.
1.11 Represent numbers in a variety of ways: using tallies, building models to 100.
1.12 Estimate quantities up to 30. Recognize when solutions to problems are reasonable.
3.01 Describe and compare objects by their attributes; order sets.
4.01 Gather, organize and display information as a group activity.
4.02 Answer questions about charts and graphs.
4.03 Make predictions based on experiences.
4.04 Create concrete, pictorial, and symbolic graphs using prepared grids.

Launch:  Today we are going to make an estimate as a whole class.  Can anybody tell me what it means to make an estimate?  An estimate is a guess, for example, how many objects do you see without counting them.  So, as a class we are going to estimate how many objects we see without counting them.
 Here’s our problem.  (Pull out the jar of M&M’s).  Let the class look at it.  They can pass it around if they agree to leave the lid on the jar, don’t drop it, etc.  As they pass it around, talk about what’s in the jar.  There are different colors of m&m’s in the jar.  Then ask them how many m&m’s total do they think are in the jar?  Then have the students predict which color of m&m do they think will there be most of.  Write down their estimates and predictions on the board.
*Teacher note:  Students will not find out how many total m&m’s in the jar until the third day when the class graph is made.

Explore:  Group students in three’s or four’s.  Give each group a baggie with an equal amount of m&m’s from the jar, a worksheet to keep up with the tally marks (counting the m&m’s), and a chart to fill in with the real m&m's.
It is the students’ job to place the correct m&m in the corresponding color column.  The blue m&m would go in the column with the blue circle.  After placing all the m&m’s in the columns, the students count each m&m in each column giving the color a tally mark on their worksheet.
After they all finish recording their data and know how many m&m’s of each color they have, they put up their charts and share their data with the class.

Summarize:  Debrief how they found out how many m&m’s they had.
*Did all the groups sort their m&m’s on the charts?  Why did this help them with making tally marks?
*How did the tally marks help the students count the m&m’s?
*Did all the groups’ charts look exactly the same?  Why or why not?
*Which color had the most m&m’s produced?  Why do you think this?
*What surprised you most about this activity?

Assessment/Evidence of Learning
While students are working in groups:  I will look for
*Are students following directions for sorting, tally marks for object counting?
*Distinguishing color for color graph?
*Are they implementing cardinal principle for total m&m’s?
*How are they working in groups? Agreeable or Disagreeable?
*Are they sharing the workload?

During the discussion:  I will listen for
*Correct usage of math terms such as tally marks, sorting, and color charts
*Individuals’ confidence to share ideas, and being able to make an argument to support their thinking.  (Explaining why)
*What students notice about tally marks making counting easier.
*Comments about how this is similar and different to prior math experiences.
*Students’ comments about organizing with the color chart.

Ticket out the door:  Have students think of other items in their household that they could do this same activity with.  Write down their ideas.

 
Math Lesson:  Graphing in 1st Grade
Part Two
Spring, 2001

Name:  Mary Teague and Mandy Reid

Grade Level:  1st Grade

Teacher Materials Needed:
*Overhead Projector with clean transparency
*markers

Student Materials Needed:
*prepared grid paper (big grids)
*pencils, colored pencils, markers

My Mathematical Goals for This Lesson:
*Begin to assess their understanding and organization of graphs.
*How to read a graph.
*Students create a graph of their own and have ownership of it.
*Make connections to data gathered the day before.
*Begin to appreciate the value of working in groups and talking about math.

Related NC Standard Course of Study Goals/Objectives:
Grade 1
4.02 Answer questions about charts and graphs.
4.03 Make predictions based on experiences.
4.04 Create concrete, pictorial, and symbolic graphs using prepared grids.

Launch:
Today we are going to make a graph of the colors of the shirts of our classmates.  Without counting what color of T-shirt do you think we have the most of?  Count on the board with tally marks.  On overhead, make a pictograph of the students’ shirts. As you make the pictograph, talk about the components of the pictograph and why they’re important.   Quick discussion of what we learned from this graph.  Can graphs be useful in everyday life?

Explore:
The students will get into original groups from the day before.  Using the data recorded about the m&m’s they will individually produce a pictograph on the prepared grid portraying this information.  Students can make these colorful and intriguing.  Have students share their pictographs and place them around the room.

Summarize:
Debrief the meaning of pictographs, and how they are useful.
*How does one read a graph?
*How is a graph organized or setup?
*Discuss the uses of pictographs.  Why are they important?
*How to label the grid?  How to plug in data to the prepared grid?
*Are the students’ graphs all the same?  Why or why not?
*What surprised you most about the activity?

Assessment/Evidence of Learning
While students are working individually and with groups:  I will look for
*the particular kinds and variety of interpretations of graphs that individuals and groups have
*how individual graphs are setup
*inclusion of all the major components of pictographs

During Discussion:  I will listen for
*Connections students make with graphs in real life.
*Individuals’ confidence to share ideas and to make arguments to support their thinking.
*Connections to previous math experiences, especially to the day before.

Ticket out the door:  Take one idea from the ticket out the door the day before and do your best to make a pictograph.

 
Math Lesson:  Graphing with 1st Grade
Part Three
Spring, 2001

Name:  Mary Teague and Mandy Reid

Teacher Materials Needed:
*Overhead Projector with clean transparency
*markers
*large prepared grid for class bar graph taped to the board
Student Materials Needed:
*prepared grid paper (big grid)
*pencils, colored pencils, and markers

My Mathematical Goals for this Lesson:
*Assess their understanding and organization of graphs.
*How to read a graph.
*Students create a bar graph and have ownership of it.
*Make connections to data gathered the day before.
*Begin to appreciate the value of working in groups and talking about math.
 
 

Related to NC Standard Course of Study Goals/Objectives:
Grade 1
 4.01 Gather, organize and display information as a group activity. 4.02 Answer questions about charts and graphs. 4.03 Make predictions based on experiences. 4.04 Create concrete, pictorial, and symbolic graphs using prepared grids.
 

Launch:
Today we are going to make a graph of the colors of the shoes of our classmates.  Without counting what color of shoes do you think we have the most of?  Count on the board with tally marks.  On overhead, make a bar graph of the students’ shoes. As you make the bar graph, talk about the components of the bar graph and why they’re important.   Quick discussion of what we learned from this graph.  Can graphs be useful in everyday life?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Explore:
The students will get into original groups from the day before.  Using the data recorded about the m&m’s they will individually produce a bar graph on the prepared grid portraying this information.  Students can make these colorful and intriguing.

Once groups begin finishing up their bar graphs, have one group at a time come to the front and color in their results on the class bar graph.  The class bar graph will begin to build.  The assistant or yourself will have to help the students with this process.

Summarize:
Compare and contrast pictographs and bar graphs as a class discussion.
*Does the data remain the same?  Why or why not?
*What’s different about each graph?

Debrief the class graph and compare the estimates and predictions made on the first day.
*What do you notice about the class graph that might be different from the individual groups’ graphs?
*Does this graph tell us anything important?
*What were our predictions and estimations about the m&m’s in the jar on the first day?
*How has this graph become important for us finding out how many m&m’s are in the jar?  Why do you think this?
*Which m&m was produced the most? Least?  Why do you think this?

Assessment/Evidence of Learning
While students are working in their groups: I will look for
*talk that symbolizes connections (similarities and differences) between pictographs and bar graphs
*how individual graphs are setup
*inclusion of all the major components of pictographs

During the discussion:  I will listen for
*Connections students make with graphs in real life.
*Individuals’ confidence to share ideas and to make arguments to support their thinking.
*Connections to previous math experiences, especially to the two previous lessons.
*Comparison and contrast of group graphs and the class graph

Ticket out the door:  Make a bar graph out of the data used for the pictograph.

 
Math Lesson:  Graphing With 1st Graders
Part Four
Spring, 2001

Name:  Mary Teague and Mandy Reid

Grade Level:  1st Grade

Teacher Materials Needed:
*computer lab
*computer with projector
*software:  “The Graph Club” (enough CDs one for each student)
published by Richard Abrams/Tom Snyder Productions
*printer needed for computer lab

Student Materials Needed:
*previous experience with software
*basic computer skills

My Mathematical Goals for This Lesson:
*Build graphs from given data.
*Assess how well they work individually on a familiar concept.
*Assess their knowledge of graphs learned in this series of lessons.
*Plot and label data correctly on a prepared grid.
*Discussion of topic is detailed.

Related NC Standard Course of Study Goals/Objectives:
Grade 1
Math
 4.02 Answer questions about charts and graphs. 4.04 Create concrete, pictorial, and symbolic graphs using prepared grids.

Technology Competencies
3.1 Group items by different attributes using manipulatives and/or software. (SS)

3.2 Gather, organize, and display data.
 *Using technology at home.
 *Gathering, organizing, and displaying data.
 *Using word processing.
 *Exploring multimedia.
 
 
 

Launch:
Teacher does demonstration of a pictograph and bar graph using the computer software program, “The Graph Club,” on the overhead computer projector.  The program gives random variables and provides prepared grids, therefore, it is important for the teacher to model what students will do independently.

Explore:
Students will open “The Graph Club” program.  All students begin on level one of graphing.  From the data given to them through the software, they will produce a pictograph and a bar graph.  Once the student completes the graph to his/her preference, they will be able to print out a copy for them to take home and a copy to give to the teacher.  The teacher will use this copy to assess the students understanding and comprehension of graphs.  The students can put this copy on an interactive bulletin board so that they can read and study each other’s work.  It will be at their disposal for an extended period of time.

Summarize:
Once work is complete, debrief once again about graphs and their importance in everyday life.
*How can graphs benefit students?  In and out of school?
*Did working on the computer help you understand graphs better?
*Did the computer work give you practice?
*Were the graphs you made on the computer similar to the ones you made by hand?  Why or why not?  How were they similar or different?

Assessment/Evidence of Learning
While students work on computers:  I will look for
*correct plotting of data
*correct labeling of data
*using the manipulatives (mouse, data on screen, and prepared grid) and software effectively
*the quality of individual work produced by each student

During discussion: I will listen for
*Individual thinking of connections between computer activity and group work graphs.
*Individuals’ confidence about their ideas and being able to make an argument to support their thinking.
*Comments on the computer as a tool for creating and learning.

Ticket out the door:  Choose a graph off of the bulletin board that interests you.  Write down things that you learned from your particular graph.
 
 

 
Example Chart:  M&M’s could be glued on.  The actual chart could be on a half sheet of poster board so that it would be big enough for students to accurately place and line the M&M’s in the columns.

Blue                  Red                 Orange                 Yellow                Brown
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Example worksheet for tally marks.  The actual worksheet would have spaces big enough for the students to write tally marks that they could handle and keep separate.
                                                                                                                       Total # m&m’s
Blue________________________________________________          ______________
 
 

Red_________________________________________________         _______________
 
 

Orange_______________________________________________        _______________
 
 

Yellow_______________________________________________        _______________
 
 

Brown_______________________________________________         _______________