Graphing and Data analysis: fun in first grade
Teaching math in the first and second grades is a lot of fun. We get to introduce so many new concepts and skills. One of those skills is graphing. At first glance, this may seem like a daunting task. But in reality, it’s a lot of fun because it is so visual. My students always seem to catch on very quickly, and we enjoy the unit and lessons together. Here are some of my favorite ways to have fun with graphing and data analysis.
Graphing and Data Analysis
Data is a big part of the Common Core Standards for both first and second grades. In first grade, students must organize, represent, and interpret data. In second grade they learn to draw a picture graph or bar graph to represent data. They also need to put together and take apart information in a bar graph.
One of the best parts about teaching this unit is that I get to learn even more about my students, and they absolutely LOVE sharing about themselves.
The graphing activities lend themselves so well to “about me” info that the kids can’t wait to share. We get to explore things like their favorite pet, favorite color, number of people in their family, favorite holiday, and the list can go on and on.
This is a great opportunity to be creative and have a little fun with your students.
Introducing graphing
A couple of weeks before we even begin the unit, I like to incorporate a small activity into our morning routine. I use the concept of whole group graphing with my pocket chart.
Each morning there is a new question displayed at the top of the pocket chart. It might say “What is your favorite color?” At the bottom of the pocket chart, I have the categories displayed like green, yellow, blue, orange, and red.
As the kids come in and unpack in the morning, answering this question becomes part of their morning routine. (I have them design their own card with their name on it for answering these questions that they use daily.)
I love this activity because it is so quick and easy. It doesn’t take up any instructional time, yet it is a valuable teaching moment. And . . . I can also use it to check attendance 🙂
We go over the daily question results in the morning meeting. You can also do this during whole group math instruction. We talk about things like:
- How many people picked red as their favorite color?
- Which color did people pick the most?
- Which color did the least amount of people pick?
- Did more people choose blue or yellow?
Talking about these things daily and using the graphing vocabulary prepares your students to begin the graphing and data analysis unit. They are learning to collect data without even realizing it. I love this activity so much that I created a FREEBIE just for you! Grab my Data and Graphing: Our Favorite Colors FREE resource to begin your unit. You and your kiddos will love it.
Graphs, graphs, and more graphs
There are tons of different types of graphs we can use to display data. I usually begin by focusing on bar graphs, picture graphs, and tally tables.
As a class, we create a large picture graph. The visuals are the secret to understanding the concept! I usually just cut a few pieces of bulletin board paper to hang on the wall for creating our picture graph (poster boards work too). The kids always enjoy talking about their favorite pets for this activity.
After we create our picture graph, it’s time to take that information and create a bar graph using the data. I provide a worksheet for them to do this.
After we’ve mastered creating the bar graph, we use that data to create a tally table. We do this same process for several days using different topics. You’ll be able to gauge your kid’s understanding and see how much time you need to spend here.
The best part? I’ve created a resource that has everything you need to do this. My Data and Graphing: Our Favorite Pets is a super fun whole group activity. Plus it includes 3 options for graphing so that you can easily differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all of your students. Grab it here!
Analyzing Data
Now that we’ve collected our data and organized it in nice graphs and tables, it’s time to analyze it.
I think this just may be their favorite part of graphing and data collection. They get to talk all about themselves and their preferences which is always a hit! When we begin working on data analysis I do a lot of modeling and explaining my thinking. I slowly do less as students are able to do more of the analyzing and discussion independently.
Another key to data analysis is introducing and using vocabulary. It’s easy to incorporate words like more, less, most, least, greater, and equal. You can also easily add in other math skills with some simple questioning.
The best way to help students master data analysis is with lots and lots of practice. The daily question is a great way to weave this practice in each day with just a few minutes of time.
Looking for more graphing and data analysis activities?
Helping your students reach mastery of these important skills takes lots of practice. If you’d like some ready to use resources for data and graphing make sure to check out all of my different resources in my TPT store.
I hope you’re excited to begin teaching graphing and data in your classroom. You and your students will have tons of fun while mastering the standards using my resources.
save these graphing and data analysis ideas
Be sure to save these graphing and data analysis ideas to your favorite math Pinterest board. You’ll be so thankful when you don’t have to spend hours prepping.
