Graphs are one of my favorite math lessons to teach, but over the years I've learned that for students to fully grasp the much-needed skill, they need to be exposed to many hands-on learning opportunities. Grab these FREE Printables to bring your data unit to life using Mini Pet Erasers, Fabulous Foam Self-Adhesive Transportation Shapes, Rainbow Hand Self-Adhesive Shapes, and Adhesive Letters & Numbers to create Grab and Go Graph Bags!
Prior to teaching the lesson, pre-make the large "Our Favorite Colors of the Rainbow" bar graph using these FREE Printables. You can make this graph any size you'd like by printing more graph pieces then cutting and gluing the pieces together. Attach all pieces to a piece of Pacon Heavy-Duty Anchor Chart Paper using an Elmer's Glue Stick.
Attach one of each color of a Rainbow Hand Self-Adhesive Shapes to the first row to use as labels. I also colored the box to make it easier to see that it was a label and not a vote. Have each student grab a hand that's their favorite color. After all students have grabbed their favorite color, students will peel the self-adhesive hand shape and add it to the graph.
Once the graph is created, it's time to begin the math discussion using the data created. Print out the ready-to-go questions HERE. Using a paper punch, punch a hole on each card and attach to a ring or Baker's Twine. These questions are open ended and can be used for ANY graph! All you need to do is fill in the correct "term" on each card.
Now, comes the fun part! Students are ready to sort and graph items on their own. Hand out a "Grab and Go Graph" Bag to each student. I prepped these bags prior to our lesson. Print out the bag labels HERE and attach using Washi Tape. Using Washi Tape allows you to re-use the bags. Inside each Medium Black Kraft Paper Bag, place a Mini Bright Color Canvas Drawstring Bags with the materials students will sort and graph. The Mini Bright Color Canvas Drawstring Bags will help make sure all items stay organized. To fill my bags, I used Mini Pet Erasers, Fabulous Foam Self-Adhesive Transportation Shapes, Rainbow Hand Self-Adhesive Shapes, and Adhesive Letters & Numbers.
Students can grab their bag and head to an area to work using a Rainbow Clipboard. Print out a sorting mat and graphing sheet for each child.
To help meet the needs of all your learners, I've provided a handful of graphs that are ready to go HERE. There are also open ended graphs that allow students to practice labeling the different parts of a bar graph.
If your students need more practice with bar graphs, check out this Early Graphing Activity Set. This set is ready-to-go and provides students will reusable charts and many fun questions.
