Minute to Win It Graphing

Objective: to learn about different things that can be graphed while playing various counting and balance games. Time Required: 45 minutes 1 hour Subject: Math Rationale: This lesson was a very fun one. The students are learning about graphing and I wanted to show them that there were many ways for a student to use graphs and tally charts. So we played our own version of Minute to Win It and tracked each event so we could compare them on a graph later. The things that worked well in this lesson was the way the rules were explained and most of the lesson itself. The only change I would institute is that instead of using a straw to get the marshmallow in the cup, the students would have to use chopsticks. I did not anticipate them being as good as they were at the marshmallow game. For this activity, students worked in groups of 5, which were created with mixed abilities and with separating behavior issues in mind. Students also had to reexplain each game after the rules were stated and had to give ideas on how this sort of thing could run smoothly in the classroom, which helped them focus on behaving themselves in between the games so they could continue to play. In this lesson, on game had to be thrown out of the graphing entirely because the number of marshmallows they managed to get into the cup was 4 times more than any of the other games totals. That is why I would change the game next time to limit the number to something smaller and more age appropriate to graph. See also: Appendix A-5, A-8, A-9

Standards: Math SOL 1.14 The student will investigate, identify, and describe various forms of data collection using tables, picture graphs, and object graphs Math SOL 1.15 The student will interpret information displayed in a picture of object graph, using the vocabulary more, less, fewer, greater than, less than, and equal to. Procedure: o Divide students into four equal groups and have them sit with their groups at one of the tables. o Explain that students will be playing four games and tallying each game how they did. o Show the groups the tally sheet that will be kept as a class using the document camera to display it. o Explain each game and explain that students will have 1 minute to complete each activity. o Marshmallow straw Students will all have a straw and must use the straw to move marshmallows from the table into the purple container. next time, change the game to moving marshmallows with chopsticks into a cup. They had too many in the cup so we couldnt use the game as part of our graph. o Lima Bean Balance One student will hold their arms out and the other students must place as many lima beans on the students arm as possible without them falling off. If one lima bean falls, they have to start over.

o Block Hands All students will see how many blocks they can stack on their hands without having them fall. o Cup Tower Students will work as a team to make the tallest cup tower they can (however they want) but they may only use one hand each. o Have students repeat back the rules of each game after they are all explained. o Have students give suggestions on how they can make this activity work smoothly and what rules they should be following (dont run to the next station, dont talk when the teacher is talking, etc.) o Set the timer and have students start at whatever table they are sitting at. o After one minute, have students stop and count how many they have and tally it on the class chart. o Then have students rotate to the next game. o When students have completed all four games, count up the tallies for each activity as a group and write the number down. o Hand students a graph sheet. o Have students create their own graphs based on the data they collected on one side do just their group (be sure to label each game) and on the other side do just one game (making sure to label each group). o Discuss and display each group graph as a class reading the labels and titles and counting the colored in boxes.