STEM 433/533 Lesson Planning Template

(Complete answers in Purple font)

Name: Carrie Ford Grade: Kindergarten Topic: Graphing (Probability and Statistics)
Brief Lesson Description: Students will be introduced to the concept of data collection, graphing data, and graph interpretation through
engaging and fun, as well as hands on exploration activities. These activities include formulating relevant and interesting questions by
playing a class game, reading a children’s book that introduces graphing, listening and dancing to an upbeat song about graphing, and
conducting classroom wide research into the class’s favorite type of cookie.

Specific Learning Outcomes: Through the explicit instruction and structured activities, students will be able to demonstrate their
understanding by collecting and organizing data, representing data in a graph, as well as correctly answer data interpretation questions for
a specific graph.
How did this lesson develop as a result of your examination of research and data about employing culturally sustaining pedagogical
strategies? (Think equal opportunity, student interests, race, gender, disabilities etc.)
This lesson was specifically created to appeal to all students as well as keep each and every student highly engaged in the lesson as I
understand through research that high student interest and engagement facilitates content comprehension. I first considered in great detail
what would highly interest all kindergarten students, regardless of background, gender, disabilities, etc. I also wanted to ensure that all
students would be able to participate and not need to bring anything from home to do so as it has been proven that economically
disadvantaged students forego many opportunities to learn simply because they are not afforded the materials in which to deepen
understanding of content.

Narrative / Background Information

Prior Student Knowledge:
Students may already have some visual experience with charts and graphs, and many, out of developmentally appropriate curiosity, will
already possess organizing (sorting) items by their different characteristics.

The teacher will activate background knowledge by showing a PowerPoint of pictures taken from around the school of various charts and
graphs they have seen and ask them what those graphs are for. An example would be the fundraising graph at the school’s entrance
showing the daily progression to the fund-raising goal.

Teacher will also ask students where they have seen a chart or a graph before and explain what they think it was for.

Math VA SOL: Visual Arts VA SOL: NCTM Standard:

K.11 The student will K.1 The student will apply creative thinking Pre-K–2 Expectations: In pre-K through
to artmaking. grade 2 each and every student should–
a) collect, organize, and represent data; and
a) Draw from imagination
-pose questions and gather data about
b) read and interpret data in object graphs,
themselves and their surroundings
picture graphs, and tables.
-sort and classify objects according to their
attributes and organize data about the
objects

-represent data using concrete objects,

pictures, and graphs.

Specific Problem-Solving Strategy being used: (Strategies underlined)

Students will define the problem by formulating questions to be answered. They will also collectively brainstorm possible solutions to how
to answer the questions they create. They will ultimately test out their chosen solutions by the method they choose to represent the
information gathered that helps to answer the questions they created.
Possible Preconceptions/Misconceptions:

Students may see some graphs and think it relates only to temperature.

When organizing and counting items, students may find it challenging to count objects not previously sorted for them. Students may also
find difficulties in using one to one correspondence when counting items.

LESSON PLAN – 5-E Model

ENGAGE: Opening Activity – Access Prior Learning / Stimulate Interest / Generate Questions:

What is a chart?
What is a graph?
How is a chart/graph helpful?

Materials:

Package of Chip’s Ahoy

Package of Oreos
Package of Fig Newtons
White Board
Expo Markers
PowerPoint
Equity Sticks

Time Allotment: 10 minutes (part of the whole lesson time allotment)

1. Teacher will call students over to the community carpet in pairs and instruct those students to sit together when they sit down.
2. Once seated in correct spaces and quiet, teacher will bring out a few packages of different cookies (Chip’s Ahoy, Oreo, Fig Newtons) and
ask the students “I wonder how I could figure out which cookie is liked the most in this class, and which one is liked the least?”
3. Students will be told they will “Think, Pair, Share” and will be given three minutes before the sharing will begin.
4. Teacher will utilize equity sticks to call on students to share their strategies with the class.
5. Students will likely volunteer that all students need to be asked which cookie is their favorite, which will lead teacher to introduce the
concept of keeping a record of the answers (data). Data has to be recorded in order to be remembered!
6. Students will be directed to observe teacher constructing a simple bar graph, with the cookie packages at the bottom, on the whiteboard,
as they explain they will be using it to keep track of student answers to which cookie is their favorite.
7. Teacher will go down the rows on the carpet to have students give their answer, as they are coloring in the bar graph.
8. Once all students have had a turn, the graph will be completed, answering the question of which cookie was the class favorite.
9. Teacher will demonstrate how to graphs aid in understanding the answer to questions by showing the PowerPoint of graphs the students
have possibly seen in the school.
10. Students will be asked what they think the graphs are showing

EXPLORE: Lesson Description – Materials Needed / Probing or Clarifying Questions:

How do we record data?

How can we make a graph to show our data?
Materials:

White board
YouTube videos
Favorite Farm Animal Graphing Activity Sheet
Pencils
Crayons

Time Allotment: Approximately 20 minutes

1. Transitioning to the next phase, students will be given a wiggle break! Students will be asked to stand up and get ready to dance!
2. 1 Students will be asked to turn their attention to the white board and to stand up and dance while learning about graphing with a graph
rap.
3. After the wiggle break fun, teacher will instruct students to sit back down as they will watch a short, fun video on one of the concepts
they just learned in the graph rap! Taking a survey!
3. Teacher will redirect students’ attention to the white board and then introduce a video which introduces the concept of keeping track of
data. Teacher will pause the video during certain points to focus on new vocabulary. (chart, survey,
4. Once the video is complete, teacher will tell students that they will now explore the answer to the question “What is our class’s favorite
farm animal!
5. Students will be instructed they will be given about ten minutes to go around and ask one another what their favorite farm animals are.
They choices will be pig, cow, horse, or chicken.
6. Teacher will explain to students, that unlike the video, they will not be counting their friends, but coloring in a block above a favorite
animal each time a friend chooses that animal.
7. Teacher will bring out Favorite Farm Animal Graphing Activity Sheet and give a brief demonstration, coloring in a few of the blocks.
8. After the short demonstration, teacher will tell students they must go to each student in the class and ask, and color one box in on their
graph each time someone tells them an animal choice.
9. Students will then be dismissed by row and be given ten minutes to explore the class’s favorite farm animal.
10. After ten minutes, class will be called back to the carpet, turning in their graphs to the teacher.
11. Teacher will share a few examples of this formative assignment with students to share glows and grows.

EXPLAIN: Concepts Explained and Vocabulary Defined:

Vocabulary:

Chart
Graph
Survey
Data
Tally mark
Most
Least

Materials:

The Great Graph Contest by Loreen Leady

White Board
Expo Markers
Equity Sticks

Time Allotment: 15 minutes (part of the whole lesson time allotment)

1. Students will be introduced to the book The Great Graph Content by Loreen Leady.
2. Teacher will pause at key elements of charting/graphing to explain and ask for student understanding. Students will be giving thumbs up,
thumbs down, or thumbs sideways to indicate their comprehension of the content.
3. Students will review or be introduced to the vocabulary words important to the content. Students will help teacher sound out the words,
as teacher writes them on the board.
4. Teacher will use equity sticks to give students an opportunity to make up a sentence utilizing the new words.
5. Teacher will write student questions with the vocabulary word on the white board.
ELABORATE: Applications and Extensions:

How can charts/graphs help me to understand topics better?

What questions do I have about my class?
How can I use a chart/graph to show what I have learned about my class with my question?

Materials:

Free Write Activity Sheet

Pencils
Crayons
Equity Sticks

Time Allotment: 30 minutes (LITERACY LESSON WITH SPECIFIC MATH INTEGRATION)

1. Students will be asked to come up with their own questions they want answered in the class during literacy stations when it is their turn
for small group with the teacher.
2. Teacher will help the student construct the sentence on blank piece of paper by encouraging them to use art. They will be asked to draw
a picture of what they might want to know about their classmates.
3. Students will first draw a picture that will help them to generate a question they wish to ask of their peers.
4. Teacher will provide phonics assistance to write the sentence if required. Teacher will also help construct a simple graph outline with
students chosen categories that correspond to their question on the back of their art/question. Example questions and categories include:
What is your favorite: a dog or cat? Or do you have a brother or sister: yes or no? Or do you prefer Roblox or Minecraft?
5. During the next day’s math lesson, students will have free time to roam about the class and ask each other their questions.
6. Students will be coloring in their graph for each students’ response in the correct column of their simple bar graph.
7. Teacher will use equity sticks to choose a few students to share their charts with the rest of the class, sharing their question, what their
bar graph shows, and what they learned about their class!
EVALUATE:

How will I demonstrate that I understand how to collect data, make a bar graph, and interpret my
data?
Formative Monitoring (Questioning / Discussion):

Students will be assessed by group discussion, think pair share activity, observations, participation, and favorite farm animal graph activity
sheet

Summative Assessment (Quiz / Project / Report) (Include a rubric):

Students will be assessed by being able to create a question that can be answered by surveying the class as well as taking their chart around
the class, asking peers their question, and recording the data by coloring in the correct blocks, thereby making a very simple graph which
they will then share with the class and be able to tell their peers which category on their graph had the most, and which had the least.

Plan for differentiation: (Be sure to specifically address the following learners)
 Students with high-incidence disabilities (e.g., autism, ADHD, mild learning disorders): IEP’s will be followed and include any
required accommodations for this population as well as the incorporation of lot of movement, and utilizing multimodal
instruction such as visual, auditory, and kinesthetic methods.
 ELL: This population is served by utilizing a lot of visuals, such as the videos, the use of the whiteboard, introduction of new
vocabulary along with visual demonstrations and hand gestures (most, least), and the incorporation of think, pair, share, in which
these students can work alongside a bilingual peer. They may also use a bilingual peer to help them with the elaborating activity.
 Gifted learners: This population will be encouraged to incorporate more categories (choices) within their question to ask peers
and will also be encouraged to make their own chart instead of a simple bar graph. Also, these students will not need the
assistance of the teacher when constructing their questions, so they may work independently on this activity.
Elaborate Further / Reflect: Enrichment:
 How will you evaluate your practice? ? I will evaluate my practice as I go along with each lesson. I will keenly observe and reflect
what went well and smoothly, where students excelled and where they struggled, and what I can do in the following lessons to
avoid those same challenges and struggles. I will remember these things by utilizing sticky notes throughout the lesson to be
placed into the actual lesson plan at the end of the day as a self-reflection practice.
 Where might/did learners struggle in the lesson? Learners may struggle in the lesson if they have difficulty with one-to-one
correspondence. They may also struggle to construct a real-world question they would like answered in the classroom. They may
also struggle keeping track of who they have surveyed and who they have not, so I may add a printout of class names for them to
check off!
 How can the lesson be strengthened for improved student learning? As mentioned above, I may include a checklist of names to
help keep students on task and focused during elaboration phase of the lesson. The addition of a book concerning graphs may be
beneficial, as well as incorporating a Spanish version of the book or video to help ELL students. Also, another elaborating activity
can be created and sent home in order to generalize the concept of data collections, organizing, and interpreting, which can be
shared with the class at a future date.
 Did the lesson reflect culturally sustaining pedagogies? If not, how can this be enhanced? I do believe this reflects culturally
relevant and responsive teacher as I have given thought to a multitude of populations as well as provided an activity to activate
personal background knowledge.
 What Farm Animal is Your Favorite?
Name:________________________________

1. Choose four colors to use on this graph.

2. Ask a classmate what their favorite farm animal is.
3. Color in the box of their f avorite animal.
4. Go around asking the rest of the class to finish your graph.
5. Do not forget to use the same color for each animal!

HAVE FUN!!!!
8

pig cow horse chicken

 CREATING MY GRAPH QUESTION!
Name:______________________________
 BAR GRAPH RUBRIC

Name___________________________________________________________

OBJECTIVE 4 3 2 1
Constructed Student was able to Student needed Student needed a lot Student really
question to be used independently or some assistance to of assistance in order struggled with
to create a simple with minimal create their own to create their own creating their own
bar graph. assistance to create question to pose to question to pose to question to pose to
their own question their peers. peers. their peers. Teacher
to pose to their had to create the
peers. question for them in
order for them to be
able to participate in
the survey portion.
Created two or Student Student needed Student needed a lot Student really
more possible independently or some assistance to of assistance in order struggled to create at
categories for peers with minimal create at least two to create at least two least two categories
to choose from assistance created at categories that were categories that were that were relevant to
during survey. least two categories relevant to their relevant to their their question.
that were relevant to question. question. Teacher had to
their question. create the categories
for them in order for
them to be able to
participate in the
survey portion.
Participation in Student participated Student participated Student participated Student did not
survey activity. the entire activity. most of the time in at least half of the participate in the
No or minimal during the activity activity and needed survey willingly and
VA SOL K:11 a redirection required. but did need a few more than a few needed constant
redirections. redirections. redirection.
Coloring in blocks Student utilized tally Student utilized tally Student was able to Student was unable
to record student marks to record marks to record utilize tally marks to utilize tally marks
responses (data). student responses student responses and place them in in the appropriate
and placed them in and place most in the the appropriate category unless
VA SOL K:11 a the appropriate appropriate category category with teacher explicitly
category with and needed teacher assistance. instructed where to
minimal or no assistance to do so. place them.
assistance.
Interpreting data Student was able to Student was able to Student needed Student was
from simple bar share simple tally share simple tally explicit instruction unwilling to share
graph by sharing graph and use the graph and with how to interpret with their peers.
with peers. words prompting could use their data in order to
VA SOL K:11 b most/more/greatest comparing words be able to share with
and least/less when correctly when their peers.
interpreting their interpreting their
data. data.