Graphing(Click on any image to see a larger version of that image.) Graphing is a very important math skill that we do a lot in my classroom. Most of the graphs we do relate to the theme of the day. I use the floor graph a lot. The floor graph is the easiest because there is not prep work involved. Sometimes, after graphing first on the floor graph, we put the objects on a paper graph for display. My floor graph was purchased many years ago from the Center for Innovation in Education. I do not think it is available anymore. You can easily make your own using a flannel backed plastic tablecloth or a shower curtain. You can put the lines on with permanent marker or tape. Blair Felgar from NH emailed me that she found another floor graph. They are available from www.etacuisenaire.com. Just type graphs into their search feature. There are some very good books out there to help you get some ideas for graphs. I love the new book Gotta Have Graphs! from The Education Center. It also contains many glyph ideas.
There were many different graphs we did during our "Apple Week." The first one we did was graphing our favorite way to eat apples. I had clip art of apple pie, whole apple, apple juice and applesauce. The kids had to place an apple cut out in the column of their favorite.
Favorite Kind of Apple - We also graphed our favorite kind of apple during "Apple Week." I found out it was very important to give the children an opportunity to taste all 3 colors of apples. Each child tasted Granny Smith, Red Delicious and Golden Delicious. Some of the students were pleasantly surprised to find that they liked apples. We used the floor graph and the kids placed a cut out that was the color that they liked the best on the graph.
Color of Apple Graph - The kids had to bring in an apple that we used to make applesauce. Before we made the applesauce, we graphed what color their apples were. We had red, yellow, green, red/green and red/yellow. I had pictures of the different collors on the end of the floor graph and the kids had to place their apple on the graph.
Stone Soup Graph - Each child had to bring in an ingredient to add to our "Stone Soup." We graphed the ingredients by placing them on the floor graph. Because we had so many ingredients, we had to graph horizontally.
Leaf Color Graph - To make this graph, I gave each child 2 die cut leaves in different fall colors. The leaves are laminated and I use them over and over again. The children had to place their leaves on the floor graph in the correct column.
Leaf Color Bar Graph - After completing the floor graph of leaf color, we left the floor graph on the floor. We then transferred our floor graph results to individual graphing sheets.
Age Graph - We have an ongoing age graph up in our classroom all year long. As the children celebrate a birthday, we move their picture to the next column.
Teddy Graham Graph - The kids also graphed the Teddy Grahams that got in a cup. They had to graph them by whether the bear's arms were up or down. First they placed them on the graph blackline. They removed the bears and colored in their graph to show the correct amount. There are never many bears with their arm's up.
I found there were not many bears with their hands up so I switched to graphing the flavors of Teddy Grahams.
Trix Tallies - It's not really graphing, but we sorted Trix cereal by color. The kids had to then count the Trix of each color and make that many tallies. This was a VERY difficult activity for November. I would do it in small groups or with a parent volunteer next time. I also would not give the kids as many Trix in their cups.
Hat Graph - On "Hat Day," the kids had to wear a hat. We used the floor graph to graph how many were baseball type hats and how many were not baseball type hats.
Left or Right Handed Graph - To make this graph, the kids hand to make a hand print of their left or right hand, whichever one they write with. I had them write their name first and that is how I know which hand to paint. Use 2 different colors of paint, one for right, a different color for left. After the prints had dried, we place them on the floor graph. I then transferred the hands to a paper graph so I could put it out in the hall. I thought the results were very interesting, 6 lefties!!
Gingerbread Man Graph - After looking for the Gingerbread Man, we got a gingerbread cookie. I had the kids take one bite of the cookie and then tear off what body part they ate first.
Letters in Name Graph - To make this graph the kids had to write their name on graph paper, one letter in a square. This year I used this grid which had numbers below each rectangle to show how many letters were used. We placed the strips on this paper graph. The graph goes up to 10+ letters.
Halloween Apple Jacks Graph - I created a graph to graph the Halloween version of Apples Jacks. They graph the green, orange and eyeball marshmallows. Click Here for the Halloween Apple Jack Graph.
Halloween Gumdrop Graph - We started real object graphing with the apple seed graph, it was one column. Next I wanted to do a 2 column graph. I chose to do Black and Orange Gumdrops. Click here for the PDF of the gumdrop graph. (It shows the wrong colors , but you run it off in black and white.)
Boys and Girls Graph - Early in the year, we graph how many boys and how many girls are in our class. Each child makes his/her own face using the face shape sheet (or a small paper plate). Each child then lays his/her head on the floor graph. We leave the faces on the floor graph while we transfer the information to an individual bar graph sheet. I have included the PDF for that graph. I made it using clipart from www.djinkers.com. I get many emails asking me where I got the clipart for all of my cute book covers, Writing Office, etc. Almost all of that clipart is from DJInkers. I own many of their clipart CD's. My personal favorites are "Kidillywinks" and "Dazzle Daze." They also have a new one that I just got that is great!
 Hair Color Graph - We use the same face shapes, to graph our hair color. Click Here for Hair Color Graph.
Number of Seeds in Apple - When my students make applesauce, they use the Apple Peeler Corer machine. After a child has peeled and cored his/her apple, he/she guesses how many seeds are in that apple. The child writes that guess on a seed shape and on the graphing sheet. The seeds are then put in a baggie until later. In the afternoon, each child dumps out his/her seeds and places them on the bar graph. The child count the seeds and then writes the number on the graph sheet and the seed shape. Then the child glues his/her seeds on the seed shape. When the glue dries on the seeds, we graph the number of seeds found in each apple.
Valentine Chocolate Candies Graph - We do this graph with the Valentine color chocolate candies.
Valentine Gobstopper Graph - We did this graph in February. I find seasonal candies like these at a local chain farm supply store called Fleet Farm.
Lucky Charms Graph - For St. Patrick's day we graph "Lucky Charms" Cereal from General Mills. My students are getting to be very good and real object graphing (the substitute teacher was very impressed) so I added more difficult question to interpret the graph. My students now have to add 2 columns to get the total. After attempting this graph with my class I learned some very important things. Fist of all, you need the super size box of Lucky Charms or 2 regular size boxes to get enough marshmallows. I have a class of 24 and with one box most kids did not get enough marshmallows to make a good graph. Either way, the kids have to sort through a lot of cereal to get to the marshmallows. Secondly, make sure your box is not the special kind with the mystery marshmallows. There was no spot for them on the graph.
Click Here for Graph Question Sheet.
Spring Colors Chocolate Candies Graph - Stock up on those Spring Colored Chocolate Candies to do this fun real object graph. There are 5 different colors of the spring candies.
Click Here for the Spring Candy graph PDF. Click Here for the Sorting and Question Sheet PDF .
Starburst Jelly Bean Graph - There are so many different kinds of jelly beans with different colors, I decided to make a graph for my favorite kind of jelly beans, Starburst. It is a little more difficult because I wrote the flavors not the colors. I have included 2 graphs, 1 with the numbers and 1 without and a sorting sheet.
Click here for the PDF Graph without numerals. Click here for sorting and question sheet.
Marshmallow Bunny Sort and Graph - I love those fun bunny marshmallows that come in 4 fun colors in the spring. My students do, too. With this activity the kids had to sort the bunnies, graph them, answer the questions and compare graphs with a friend.
Click here for Bunny Sorting sheet. Click here for Bunny Graph Questions. Click here for partner questions.
Skittles
Candy Corn Graph - Brachs came out with some new delicious flavors of candy corn this year. I made a graph to go with them.
I also created this sheet to have the kids make patterns with regular candy corn. Color Goldfish Graph - It is also a lot of fun to graph the different colors of Goldfish Crackers. We read the book Pepperidge Farms Goldfish Counting Fun by Barbara Barbieri McGrath.
Click Here for the Goldfish Graph without Numbers. Click Here for the Goldfish Sorting Sheet. Click Here for the Goldfish Partner Question Sheet.
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