In this unit, students collect data using objects, pictures, and symbols. They organize data by sorting and classifying in different ways. Students display data using multiple representations.
Individual Lessons
Lesson 1 - Properties Everywhere
This lesson captures students’ interest, provides a review of the primary unit objectives, and assesses students’ prior knowledge. This experience focuses students’ attention on the attributes of objects and rules for sorting them while building vocabulary for describing attributes and for classifying objects. In addition, this lesson allows students to apply knowledge of properties for sorting the buttons while working in a small group. This grouping arrangement offers students support and challenge through discussion of various options.
Lesson 2 - Grandma's Button Box
In this lesson, students have opportunities to identify properties and to sort, classify, organize, and display data. They solve problems and make, explain, and defend conjectures. They extend their knowledge by making generalizations and consolidating their thinking.
Lesson 3 - Alike and Different
This lesson focuses on the observation of properties and the classification of objects to build ideas about variables. Students compare objects to identify
similarities and differences. In addition, students are introduced to Venn Diagrams.
Lesson 4 - Naming Rows and Columns
In this lesson, the teacher models how to organize data and use the vocabulary associated with collecting, organizing, and displaying data. Students learn the difference between rows and columns, how to label and select a title for graphs,
and what comparative terms to use to describe relationships between and among the various sets of buttons.
Lesson 5 - Show and Tell
This lesson allows students to describe their graphs using appropriate vocabulary and to develop skills in posing and responding to questions about their graphs. Students also demonstrate an understanding of how to organize and interpret data. In addition, this lesson helps students move from the concrete through pictorial to abstract representations of displays of data, namely a graph.
