The Fifth Grade Graphing Project

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Survey Page One
Survey Page Two
Lesson Rubric
Student Sample One
Student Sample Two
Student Sample Three

Name: Cara Coffin
Grade: 5
School: Massena- Jefferson Elementary

  1. Title/Context Of Learning Experience
    The Fifth Grade Graphing Project is designed to allow students to work collaboratively, demonstrate what they know about statistics, and take them through the steps of the decision making process that occurs when taking raw data and turning it into a graph. The project also focuses on a topic that matters to the students, it is all about them. Students will be able to have a gallery walk of their graphs post-completion, which will enable them to make comparisons, analysis, and reflection on how to make a great graph or how to make a better graph next time. This project is a teaching tool because of the reflection of the students on the group work and the experience. This project is also authentic assessment to grasp the students’ level of ability with statistics.

    The students need to have prior knowledge with two types of data charts (frequency table and tally table) and four types of graphs (bar, line, circle, and stem-and-leaf plot) as well as the understanding of data requirements between the four types (for example, line graphs are used when data collection occurs over time).

    Objectives: What are the important elements of a graph? What are your tips for successful graph making?

    New York State Standards:
    Standard 3: Math, Science, and Technology: Grade 5 Statistics and Probability Strand
    5S.1 Collect and record data from a variety of sources.
    5P.10 Students work in collaboration with others to solve problems

  2. Essential Question
    How can students prove what they know about graphing and learn about why the intricacies of graphing, such as labeling and having an ‘appropriate’ scale, matter?
  3. Assessment Plan
    I used a rubric to assess this project overall. I used a folder and an organization worksheet to monitor and assess groups individual progress and to hold students’ accountable for their jobs within the group. I also was constantly observing and working with the groups, this is especially important for the participation element of the rubric. The worksheet also had a checklist for students to use to check their own graph. They also were shown the rubric at the beginning of the 2nd day of the project.
  4. Procedure
    Day One: The First Day of School

    • This initial activity serves two purposes- data collection for the graphing project and as an icebreaker activity for the beginning of 5th grade. In our school 5th grade is the first year of departmentalized classrooms so this survey was a great way to say hello to the students and keep them busy while greeting the entire line into my classroom and arranging the students in their seats. As soon as they sat down they had something to be busy with.
    • The survey took about 10 minutes and turned out to be a great tool because it also allowed me to see how different students approached work; for example, some students asked if I wanted it in complete sentences, or if it was being graded, while others wrote one word answers and breezed through in less than a minute. I also used the survey as an icebreaker to talk to the students about what picture or glimpse this survey was going to give me, as a new teacher to Jefferson, about 5th graders. After getting their opinions I asked if this was a good way to collect information and used it as a launching point for a discussion on different ways to collect. I also used it as a situation from the ‘real world’ that uses 5th grade math (a survey is a simple way businesses, colleges, and marketing executives find out what ‘the people’ think).
    • This was the end of this segment of the learning experience, I made sure to let them know that they would be seeing their survey again.

    Day Two: The Raw Data (About 3 Weeks Later)

    • Background Knowledge: The new math program our district decided to use did not have the statistics curriculum until Chapter 2, so I stowed the surveys away for the time being and waited until the third week of September to use them. After teaching about frequency tables, bar graphs, line graphs, circle graphs, and stem-and-leave plots I re-introduced the surveys as part of a 5th grade Graphing Project. This project was used as a culmination of Chapter 2: Statistics.
    • Anticipatory Set: I introduced the project by putting a copy of the survey up on my overhead projector and engaged students by simply asking them when they had seen this before. After the students recognized this I explained to them the purpose of the survey as a math project. My next step was to review what the students had learned about data collection and showing them the large envelopes and revealing the dozens of cut up strips of paper (I photocopied all 62 surveys and cut them up by question, the result was 5 envelopes with 62 strips of paper each) I challenged them to think of what I might want them to do with this RAW data. The students knew automatically.
    • Directions & Decisions: I used the organization sheet (Index Page 2) to explain to them what was expected of them and the group (5 minutes). The students had to explain the project back to me and we also talked about the essential elements of a graph. After this was cemented, I split them up into groups, sent them to their corners, and gave them 5 minutes to open their folder read the directions again, decide who was going to do which job, and what data table strategy they would take. (I gave a lot of support in the strategy of splitting up the work, having a bucket or tin to place the strip of paper after it was counted so as not to count it twice, etc.) When they were done they had to have the “Teacher Liaison”, with the completed information and their first step to completing this project, find me for the go ahead. They were then given the envelope and the materials person was given the information of where they could find the needed supplies. After all 4 or 5 (depending on the class- I have 3 sections) groups checked in I gave them a timeframe of 20 minutes to have a. the data in a data table and b. a rough draft of their graph started. Students also had to decide between a line graph, circle graph, bar graph, or stem-and-leaf plot. Most of the categories called for a bar graph, though I did have a stem-and-leaf plot.
    • The Workshop: Once this was started the students took off with a bang and I circulated monitoring the students’ progression, was available for consultation, and was sometimes, pleasantly, not needed. Students did need me for help in understanding different viewpoints on interval and scale. I was impressed by the level of the questions and the need for a discussion of the impact of counting by ones, twos, or tens on the x axis on the overall picture. For some students this was the opportunity to really ‘get it’.
    • The Wrap-Up: With five minutes left students let me know of their status, the materials person returned all the materials, the secretary placed all essentials in their folder, and students ended the session with the expectation of finishing tomorrow.

    Day Three: The Finishing Touches

    • Beginning: I asked the students what they remembered from yesterday and after reviewing the guidelines, sent the students to create their final products.
    • Meat of the Lesson: I spent most of the time making sure the students were using the checklist to go through their graph before handing it in, there were some last minute adjustments as students from other groups spotted errors. Students worked in their groups as they did the day before. Students had assigned jobs and the groups were given the challenge of having everyone in the group participate in the final copy.
    • End: The materials were returned and the final copy with the rough draft and working folder was turned in. I put the graphs up on my cork board for students to see the end results, share the results, and compare graphs. The lesson ended with a rush, as always, but there was enough time for the appreciation and reflection on their work with a gallery walk on the front chalkboard. This was a nice way to see the different graphs and for students to compare.
  5. Resources
    For the Students:

    • Construction paper
    • Graph paper
    • Pencils
    • Space!
    • Bucket, tin, or box
    • Crayons or coloring pencils
    • Envelope with slips of raw data
    • Survey
    • Folder with guidelines

    For the Teacher:

    • Survey
    • Overheads of groups, guidelines, survey
  6. Instructional/Environmental Modifications
    This was the first group project of the year so I made sure the groups had enough space to accommodate all group members and that there was enough space between the groups. Luckily I have a fair amount of counter space in my classroom. In this same regard, the needed materials were placed around the room; for example, the paper, rulers, and writing utensils were in one corner while the folders where their work was kept were in the other. I also made sure that each student had a job. Not only did this include each student in a new experience in my classroom but it helped with congestion because only one student could go get supplies.

    With one class I have behavioral modifications with a few students, to account for this I made their groups smaller and redistributed the jobs so each person was accountable for more. I also was stringent with participation grades, but the biggest factor was knowing who not to pair with who. The project went well and gave me even more insight into the matter.

    I also have 12:1:1 students and AIS students in my room. The jobs helped them to find their voices and the ability of their aides to help them with a smaller group was effective. The gallery share was a morale booster at the end.

  7. Time Required
    . The time required for the students to complete this project is roughly 3 lessons of 45 minutes in length. This does not include direct teaching of graphing skills.

    The amount of planning time total was about 4 hours, this includes the time spent at my summer workshop, the time spent creating the survey, cutting apart the survey, making the student groups, designing the handouts and classroom management techniques for a large scale group project.

    The assessment was the least time consuming; I had a good idea of the quality of the work, the student effort, and the student achievement from circulating during the creation process.

  8. Reflection
    The project was a success because:
    The students really enjoyed the chance to work in groups and to create their own graphs. They also learned an astute appreciation for the grunt work of data collection ?. I would say that the students were highly engaged, and that, for some it was a great re-teaching of skills.

    I chose this topic to create a hands on, cooperative learning based math experience because I think it is an area in which students can only truly learn by doing. Telling them to do a nice job, or to write neatly doesn’t mean as much as students looking back on their own work and seeing others’ work to understand the areas that they can improve. I chose this performance indicator because it is a pre-March skills and simply, I knew I could turn it into a successful project easily.

    My immediate peers at Jefferson thought the idea of group work, especially in Math, where the history is Saxon math with minimal hands on activities, was a positive.

    The project needs work because:
    The main area that I will make sure to change when I do this project next year is to have the students make a line graph. While students need to be able to make and read bar graphs, as well as decide whether the information warrants a bar graph or a line graph, so far, the New York State 5th grade math tests have always had a line graph. There is also more emphasis (a second indicator about line graphs) on line graphs in the standards. Next year I’d like this project to be done using data collected from the students. I think that next year I will have the students create the final copy on graph paper, even if it will not be as large. I would also like to have more time to reflect on the graphs. I think I may have a gallery walk of the rough drafts so that students can get more out of it and so that their final copy is even more polished.