Food
For Thought
Mrs.
Tiffany Barrett
Grade
Level: 3rd
Grade
Subject
Area: Math &
Computer
Topic: Making Bar Graphs Using
Excel
Subject
Standards: 3.1.15, & 3.1.13
Technology
Standards: I, II, III, &
IV
Lesson
Description:
During this
lesson the children learned how to produce a horizontal bar graph. We graphed the favorite foods of the
class.
Steps of the
Lesson:
1.
Survey the
class on their favorite foods. To
minimize the number of foods, vote on the 3-4 favorites overall. (Only do this if there are a high number
of favorite foods with only 1-2 children voting for each one)
3.
Use classroom
computers or the school computer lab and discuss spreadsheet vocabulary with the
students (X-Axis and Y-Axis).
Demonstrate how to enter data into cells.
(a)
Skip cell A1
and in cell A2, enter the word “Pizza.”
This is known as the text.
(b)
In
cell A3, enter the word “Hamburgers.”
(c)
Continue this
process down the A column until all foods have been
listed.
(d)
In
cell B1, type the name of the class.
For example:
Barrett
(e)
In
cell B2, enter the total number children who chose Pizza.
(f)
In
B3, enter the total number children who chose hamburgers
(g)
Continue this
process until all data is entered.
(h)
In
cell A7 or a cell below the last food description, enter the word
“Totals.”
(i)
In
cell D1, enter “Totals.”
(j)
Figure out all
totals by clicking on cell A1 and dragging to include all cells through D7. It will be shaded. Click on the AutoSum icon on the tool
bar – it looks an E. The totals
will appear.
4.
Now make a bar
graph by clicking on cell A1 and drag to include all cells through D13. Once again it will be shaded. Then click on Insert on the Command
bar. Scroll down to Chart and
click. Chart Wizard will
appear.
(a)
Chart Wizard
Step 1 will show several types of charts.
Click column and click next.
(b)
Chart Wizard
Step 2 – click next.
(c)
Chart Wizard
Step 3 – make sure you click on the Titles tab and then type in a chart
title: What are our favorite
foods? Type in the Category
(X) axis: Types of foods
Type in the
Value (Y) axis: Number of
children
Click
next.
(d)
Chart Wizard
Step 4 – Click Finish.
5.
The graph
should appear on the spreadsheet.
Follow-up
Questions: Students now need to use the completed
bar graph and answer
the following
questions:
- What
information does your bar graph show?
- How many
types of food are represented?
- What color
represents Barrett’s class?
- What color represents the
Totals?
- How many pets does 4th grade
own?
- Which food does Mrs. Barrett’s class
like the most?
- Think about
your answer for #6 and explain why you think Mrs. Barrett’s class has more
of this type of food?
- Do you think
the results would be different if we surveyed a different grade level? Why?
- Without
repeating information from above, describe what else you learned from this
activity.
3rd
Grade Favorite Foods Graph Rubric
A. Did the
student enter text into the spreadsheet cells correctly?
3
2
1
0
B. Did the student enter values (numerical
data) in the cells correctly?
3
2
1
0
C. Did he/she figure out the totals
correctly by using AutoSum?
3
2
1
0
D. Did he/she complete the bar graph
correctly?
3
2
1
0
- Did he/she
complete the follow-up questions?
3
2
1
0
Student Work
Sample:
|
|
Barrett |
|
Totals |
|
| |||
|
Pizza |
6 |
|
6 |
|
| |||
|
Hamburgers |
4 |
|
4 |
|
| |||
|
Chocolate |
2 |
|
2 |
|
| |||
|
Ice
cream |
1 |
|
1 |
|
| |||
|
Chicken
|
1 |
|
1 |
|
| |||
|
Totals |
14 |
|
14 |
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