5th Grade Graphs
One of my fifth grade classes was working on graphing. Since most of these students have been making graphs since first grade, I wanted to focus on something different. Instead of just entering the data into the spreadsheet and making the graph, I wanted the students to experience the value of formulas and what they can do. I created a template where the graph is automatically generated when they enter the data so the students could move quickly to the next step which was writing a word problem about the data. They enter the answer into an “invisible box” then give the word problem to a friend to solve. The power of the hidden formula shows up when the friend checks his or her answer. If it’s wrong, an X automatically appears, and if it’s correct, a check mark appears. It’s almost like magic! Students can continue making up new problems or even change the data entirely. They can also customize the colors of the bars in the graph if they wish. You can download the template by clicking here and you can see the sample graph by clicking on the picture.