Graphing in Nature

Big Idea: Data collection and organization

Guiding Questions:

1. How could we use items from nature to tally information?

2. Using two objects, what are some questions you could ask your friends about them?

3. What can we use to create a bar graph outside without paper or pencils?

Expectations:

• D1.2 collect data through observations, experiments, or interviews to answer questions of interest that focus on two pieces of information, and organize the data in two-way tally tables

• D1.3 display sets of data, using one-to-one correspondence, in concrete graphs, pictographs, line plots, and bar graphs with proper sources, titles, and labels

• D1.5 analyse different sets of data presented in various ways, including in logic diagrams, line plots, and bar graphs, by asking and answering questions about the data and drawing conclusions, then make convincing arguments and informed decisions

The Hook

If we were planning a walk in nature right now, what things would we want to think about that have mathematics in them before going on our walk? (e.g., how far is the walk, what is the air temperature outside, how long will it take, how many people will be going, etc.). What might we expect to see that we would describe using math? (e.g., number of birds, shapes of leaves, etc.).

Share the Learning Goals with the Class:

• We will consider how to tell other people about things we have discovered by using a bar graph.

• We will make up questions to ask to other people we know and tally the answers that we get.

• We will create bar graph outside to show our results using objects from nature.

Introduction

Discuss how we regularly use mathematics without even noticing when we go into nature:

• If you have ever wondered how tall a tree was, counted the petals on a flower, or tried to figure out if you could move faster than a flying bird, you have explored mathematics in nature. Introduce the use of mathematics to communicate the results of questions explored about nature.

• With objects found outside in nature, you can create your own questions to ask your friends and use math to make a chart that tells other people what you learned (e.g. “Which do you like better?”) NOTE: For Grade 1 and 2 yes/no graphs or two possible answers may work best.

Tally charts can be created with columns:

• Create a title (e.g., “Favourite Flower”).

• Write a name for each column underneath (e.g., “Rose”, “Sunflower”, etc.).

• Draw each column so the size represents the number of answers, or by stacking objects that each count for one answer.

If we create columns by stacking objects, we can make a graph without using paper and pencils. What objects can you think of from nature that might be used as counters to make our columns?

Students will work individually or in partners.

Explain how students will find objects, create questions, survey friends and tally the results. Model an example.

Allow students time to complete their tallying.

After ample time (approx. 30 min), invite students to join together. Introduce the next part of the lesson: to take the information gathered and present it as a bar graph using objects in nature or chalk. Model this exercise before students are asked to complete it.

Students pick spots on the pavement or grass to create their bar graphs. For Grade 1, students write or draw their tally titles e.g. “leaf” on the cue cards, one title per card. They can line up objects such as rocks, or draw with a stick in dirt or chalk on the ground, etc. to represent the number of classmates that preferred each object, lined up underneath each title. For grades 2, string can be used to make the axes and cue cards can be used to label the axes (i.e. vertical axis labeled as “Number”, horizontal axis labeled as “Object”). As students advance their abilities, they should be more conscious of labeling bars and axes accurately.

Completed graphs should each be viewed by the teacher, and can be photographed to keep a record or display in the classroom.

Once the teacher has seen each student’s work and taken photo- graphs, give students 5 minutes to visit the creative graphs of their classmates, or conduct a gallery walk as a whole class. Discuss the work using the following prompts:

• What question did you ask your friends?

• What objects did you choose as tally counters and why?

• What did you learn from the bar graph? (e.g., classmates like red flowers more than pink ones because the bar is bigger for red; five
  more people like the sounds of birds than the sounds of bees)

Finally, scrap it: instruct students to wipe away or disperse the objects so there is no evidence of the math lesson!

Summary discussion questions:

• Did you see any interesting ideas you would like to try next time we do this?

• What did you learn from your graph?

• What were the challenges in making your graph outside? What was fun?

Create a circle graph (i.e., pie chart) using the same information. Use a string to represent each question. Mark off equal segments along its length to represent each student responding to the question. Now remark the string with different colours to represent the number of students that responded with the same answer. Join the two ends of the string and form a circle with it. Starting in the middle of the circle, form each slice of the circle/ pie (each slice represents each answer) by filling in the space with objects such as rocks, leaves, etc., or colour in with chalk or mud.

Minds On—Assessing for Learning

• Identifying ways to represent things observed in nature (e.g., tally chart, bar graph)

Action—Assessing for, as and of Learning

• Recording (using tally charts) and organizing observational information using bar graphs

• Teacher and peers examining the tally charts and bar graphs of other students

Consolidation—Assessing for and of Learning

• Accurate representation of observations using an alternative graphic organizer (e.g., circle graph)

• SEL Student Self-Assessment FRENCH / ENGLISH SEL Teacher Rubric