Introduction to Bar Graphs Lesson Plan

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Abstract

This lesson allows students to learn what bar graphs are used for, how to interpret the data presented, and how to organize their own data using bar graphs.

Standards(NCTM 3-5)

Data Analysis and probability

Formulate questions that can be addressed with data and collect, organize, and display relevant data to answer them

• design investigations to address a question and consider how data-collection methods affect the nature of the data set;
• collect data using observations, surveys, and experiments;
• represent data using tables and graphs such as line plots, bar graphs, and line graphs;

Select and use appropriate statistical methods to analyze data

Student Prerequisites

• Technological:
  
  Students must be able to:
  • perform basic mouse manipulations such as point, click and drag.
  • use a browser such as Netscape for experimenting with the activities.

Teacher Preparation

Students will need:

• access to a browser.
• access to pencil and paper.

Lesson Outline

1. Focus and Review
• Begin by calling on each student in the class and asking what color his/her eyes are.
• As each student answers make a tally mark by the appropriate color.
• Ask the students to arrange the information displayed on the board in a way that it is easy to read on a sheet of paper.
• Monitor the students' progress.

2. Objectives
Students will:
• practice making bar graphs.
• be able to interpret bar graphs.
• ask a question, collect data about that question, and create a bar graph to answer their question.

3. Teacher Input
• Congratulate the students on their efforts.
• If any student happens to arrange their information in a bar graph-like-manner use his/her graph as an example.
• If not, explain to the students that some people choose to arrange their data in what is known as a bar graph.
• Explain the term bar graph.
• Explain how to arrange data using a bar graph.

4. Guided Practice
• Have the students help you arrange the data located on the board into a bar graph.
• Describe to the students how to use the Bar Graph Shape Sorter applet.
• Instruct the students to run through several sets of shapes to get a feel for the program.
• Record information about the types of pants people are wearing (Pants, jeans, dresses, or shorts).
• Instruct the students on how to use the Bar Graph applet.
• Have the students use the Bar Graph applet to graph the data collected about what type of pants people in the class wear.

5. Independent Practice
• Instruct the kids to come up with a question they would like to answer by surveying their classmates.
• You may want to give them a few sample questions to choose from if they cannot come up with one on their own:
• Shoe Size
• Birth Month
• Favorite Color
• Hair Color
• Favorite Book
• Favorite Television Show
• Have the students question their classmates and then create a bar graph either on paper or by using the Bar Graph applet

6. Closure
• Choose several students to share their bar graphs with the class.
• Cover all pertinent vocabulary.
Modifications:

For younger students, you may want to hand them a bag of shapes and have them create a bar graph similar to those found in the Bar Graph Shape Sorter applet, rather than having them survey the class and creating a bar graph using the Bar Graph applet.

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