In case you aren’t aware, April is happening this week!! Time sure flies when you’re having fun?! Well, at least that’s what I hope you’ve been finding more of lately. Things that make you happy and fuel even your hardest days. Hang in there because Summer is coming so soon! If you’ve been following me on Facebook then you know I’ve been doing a monthly countdown and we are just two months away! But before you completely clock out, learning is still in progress and there is lots of fun to be had in the classroom… like unique graphing activities!
I know we’re getting into graphing this time of year and I know you may just be on your last leg of innovative ideas for what to graph about! But don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. Today, I want to share 6 graphing activity topics that will make graphing more fun for your students! And these are perfect for you too because most of these don’t require a whole lot of manipulatives or extra work on your part. These can be done individually or as a class. And the best part? I’ve included a couple of FREEBIE graphing activities for you at the end of this post.
Before you get graphing, it’s important to set a firm foundation on what exactly your students will be learning! When it’s time to graph, spread graphing posters all around the room to help students visualize what each type of graph looks like. While bar graphs and pictographs tend to go over well, line graphs and pie charts can be a bit more tricky! These images help them to follow along seamlessly while using their own data to graph.
This pictograph activity works great as a class graph! Create a chart of where your students like to read using book images or reading glasses as the pieces. And asking your students about their reading habits is beneficial for more than just the graph, too! You can learn more about your students, reinforce the importance of reading, and help them find common interests. It’s easy and requires no manipulatives.
Students love when you ask questions about who they are and what they love! That’s what makes these types of graphs so special! Find out what your students’ favorite games are by incorporating them into a gaming graphing activity! This is another class favorite and a great way for students to see themselves in their classmates. They would be surprised to know that the shy kid two rows down can dominate in Dominoes and they both have something in common!
If you do want your students to get a bit more handsy with their graphing, having them collect data on their outcomes of flipping a coin is a great way to keep them engaged in what they are learning! This coin-flipping graphing activity will surely bring out their competitive spirit! Whether completing this alone or with a partner, they will want to try flipping the coin again and again, especially if they choose to try for one side over the other.
Dice can be a wonderful tool for teaching math in the classroom! Here’s a great way to use dice when making graphs. Individually, students can roll and graph their results. This is an easy way to get your students up and moving, too. Have them spread out across the floor and roll their dice. They could work in pairs or groups with each taking a turn and combining the results. Plus, rolling the dice on the floor will make cleaning up a lot easier (if you don’t want dice flying all over the room!) Foam dice are always a great option here!
Do you have little athletes in your classroom? It sure can feel like it with all the bouncing and jumping around they do! Give them a reason to get out of their seats with this basketball graphing activity! It is one of my faves because your students will have zero issues with learning how to graph this way. Grab any kid-friendly balls you have and a clean trash bin and have them go at it! Or keep them at their seats with cups and mini balls, instead. Get this activity now for FREE right HERE!
If you’ve never ended a dispute with rock, paper, scissors, then how are you solving anything?! Rock, Paper, Scissors is one of those games that will never get old and it’s popular among kids and adults! Take all that buzz and put it into a graphing activity! Have students pair up and go multiple rounds of the game, reporting their wins, losses, and draws. Super simple but attention-grabbing, for sure. I added this FREE graphing activity in my TPT shop so you can grab it for your students right HERE!
Like what you see? You can check out all of these graphing activity ideas in the Let’s Graph: Bar Graph and Pictograph Activities set in my shop…HERE!
Hey, y’all! My name is Amy Lemons and I am passionate about providing students with both engaging and effective standards-based Math and ELA lessons.
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