Graphing

Sorry, I could not get the picture turned. This graph is a graph that we make in the fall with our preschoolers. Graphs are a great way for children to visually see the difference or similarity between choices that are being compared. For this graph the students taste a piece of red delicious, gold delicious, and granny smith apples. They describe if the apple is soft or hard and if it tastes sweet, sour, or anything else. The different color of the apples is also discussed. Then the student's decide which apple they enjoy the best. Once everyone has voted on their favorite apple, either by putting their name in a column or by placing an apple cutout in a column. Then as a class we count how many are in each column. The number of items in each column can be wrote and then there can be a discussion on what number is bigger. Graphing can help students visual see why one number is bigger/smaller than another number. This activity also helps students make decisions on what they like best and choosing just one. A lot is covered and discussed when making a graph. There are so many different forms of graphs that can be made to demonstrate an end result. Have fun by making bar graphs, line graphs, or pie graphs. An end result may be made quickly or information may need to be collected for a few weeks in order to achieve the end results. Graphing is a lot of fun because the options are endless!