Great Graphs!

Each month I like to do an interactive whole class graph (realistically, it ends up being more like every season but I'm trying to get better at that).  On Monday, I post a question on the bulletin board and we have a brief discussion of the choices.  Students make their choice when they have a free moment.

At the end of the week, we talk about our observations.  Students work in groups to write down what they see and what they think. We start off with what we see right off the bat - most popular, least popular, etc.  Then we discuss some higher level thinking questions like making comparisons and inferences.  For example, why do you think lemonade was the most popular drink?  Why did no one vote for iced tea?  Do you think this graph would turn out the same in the winter time?  for a grade 8 class?  Finally, we post some of the sticky notes on the board.

Here are examples of some our graphs.

Summertime Drinks

Favourite Place for Dinner

Christmas Traditions

Estimation Station

Each week I place items to estimate in a jar.  Kids love when they are edible but I have also used math manipulatives or school supplies to be more cost effective.  In the past, I have asked for donations to our estimation station in the class newsletter as well.  

We have 2 jars - one jar is the reference point and I usually put 5 or 10 items in it, depending on the size of the item.  This jar is labelled - Open! Count Me!  The other jar is for estimating.  We have a mini lesson at the beginning of the year on how to use the counting jar to help us make good estimates.  This is reinforced throughout the year when I usually ask 2 or 3 students to share the justification behind their estimation before we count.  

The items go in the jars on Monday and we count the estimation jar on Friday.  Students can estimate any time they have finished their work or lunch.  We choose an efficient way to count the objects, usually by 2s or 5s, in order to practise our skip counting as well.  We all chant the number while a teacher helper or myself transfers the items to a sandwich bag.  We employ the Chicken Little rule - if you don't help count, you don't help eat! 

Once we find the actual amount, we make a number line to compare the closest numbers.  

If it's a candy week, the winner gets to take home the bag after giving a candy to each student.  

The paper we use for recording our estimates is available in my TPT shop: