Author: Mathew Needleman  Date Created: 7/9/2003 4:17:46 PM PST
Collections: Graphing & Sorting
Grade/Level: 1
Students: 20 students. 10 boys. 10 girls. 16 ELL students. 1 student mild autism.
Subject Area(s): Mathematics
Concept(s): Objects can be sorted by multiple attributes. Information can be be recorded on graphs to provide easy to read visual information.
State Academic Content Standard(s): CA- CCTC: Aligned CSTP's and TPE's • Standard : CSTP: Standard for Engaging and Supporting all Students in Learning TPE: C. Engaging and Supporting Students in Learning CSTP Description: Teachers build on students? prior knowledge, life experience, and interests to achieve learning goals for all students. Teachers use a variety of instructional strategies and resources that respond to students? diverse needs. Teachers facilitate challenging learning experiences for all students in environments that promote autonomy, interaction and choice. Teachers actively engage all students in problem solving and critical thinking within and across subject matter areas. Concepts and skills are taught in ways that encourage students to apply them in real-life contexts that make subject matter meaningful. Teachers assist all students to become self-directed learners who are able to demonstrate, articulate, and evaluate what they learn. • CSTP Key Element : Using a variety of instructional strategies and resources to respond to students? diverse needs.  Question : vary my instructional strategies to increase students? active participation in learning? CA- California K-12 Academic Content Standards • Subject : Mathematics • Grade : Grade One By the end of grade one, students understand and use the concept of ones and tens in the place value number system. Students add and subtract small numbers with ease. They measure with simple units and locate objects in space. They describe data and analyze and solve simple problems. • Area : Statistics, Data Analysis, and Probability • Sub-Strand 1.0: Students organize, represent, and compare data by category on simple graphs and charts:  Standard 1.1: Sort objects and data by common attributes and describe the categories.  Standard 1.2: Represent and compare data (e.g., largest, smallest, most often, least often) by using pictures, bar graphs, tally charts, and picture graphs.
Objective(s): Given an assortment of items, students will sort them by a common attribute and record the results of their sorting on a graph with eighty percent accuracy.
Prerequisite Background Skills/ Knowledge: Students need to be familiar with the sorting of objects. They will not need to have had this skill mastered but it should be introduced prior to this lesson. Students should be familiar with the concept of graphing and reading graphs. To complete their graphs successfully, students will need a solid one-to-one correspondence...I know that not all students have this but I hope that this concept will be reinforced by this activity.
Vocabulary/Language Skills: Sorting, graphing, greatest and least. Sorting and graphing have been taught by modelling the processes prior to this lesson though they will need to be reviewed again. Greatest and least are fairly familiar to students though they are not yet completely comfortable with the terms. As I ask questions like which has the greatest or least number, I use my hands to indicate the relative amount that I am talking about.
Materials: Manipulatives Graphing Worksheets (teacher created) Crayons Overhead projector/Overhead copy of graphing worksheet
Classroom Management: This is a brand new first grade class who were kindergartners only a week ago. Materials need to be ready prior to passing anything out. The lesson will go most successfully if the teacher talks to students as a whole class only briefly before having them get to work. Teacher should then circulate to help students individually and in small groups.
Models of Instruction: Direct Instruction
Procedure
Open: Place a number of rubber toy bugs on the overhead. Ask students to help you sort them as you model the sorting process, reminding students of how they sorted the bugs previously. Now ask students how you can record (write down) the sorting information. Students may not suggest graphing, but entertain their suggestions. Remind students of the graphing of favorite TV shows and favorite colors they have completed previously.
Input: Display the graph that the class completed on the overhead previously. Ask student what each square on the graph stands for (one person). Now display the overhead of the bug graph. With the students' help and providing as much direct instruction as necessary, place the bugs each on a square of the graph. Think aloud as you begin filling in one square on the graph for each bug present.
Guided Practice: With partners, students will confer with each other about how they are sorting the objects they are given. Students, will individually place the objects on their graphs as teacher circulates to make sure that students have sorted their objects in a way that they can explain.
Independent Practice: Students will complete their graphs independently as teacher continues to circulate, working with individuals or teams. After completing their graph, students will check over their partners graph and share their own graph with them.
Close: Back on the carpet, ask students to share what information they found out. Which bugs did they find the most of? Least of? As a follow up activity (not on the same day), each student could report their findings and the entire class's information could be recorded on a master graph on the overhead. Early finishers can practice sorting additional items.
Assessment/ Reflection
Assessment: After sorting, students will be asked to explain why they sorted their objects the way they did and will be expected to describe one category by which they have sorted. After graphing, graphs will be examined to see if students have completed their graphs with ninety-percent accuracy. Teacher will circulate during lesson to provide instantaneous feedback and note students who still have difficulty with one-to-one correspondence.
Reflection: Although we had completed a sorting activity prior to this lesson, many students still needed practice with sorting and so we were not able to complete the graph on the same day. Also, the objects I chose for students to sort (bugs) while fun had too many attributes to make effective tools for all students. Many students got it but some did not and there were too many variables for clear sorting answers. I also recognized a need for more direct instruction with my new class and less independent inquiry. The following day we completed the graph as a whole class, sorting a single set of objects (different colored shapes) while I modeled graphing on the overhead and students completed their own graph to match mine. Later, I will follow up and have students graph independently. Although they are academically ready to graph independently at this time, they are not developmentally ready to listen to the instructions as to how to complete that graphing. We will work our way up to it again later in the year.