Line plots can be tricky! Here are some suggestions to teach line plots and bring them to life for your students:
Hide data around the room.
Put sticky notes on the bottoms of chairs. Get kids excited and moving right away!
Once every student has a data point, let them decide what to do – “What should we do to organize our data?”
Use sticky notes.
Ask students a question, and have them write their response on a sticky note. They can then come to the board (or floor) to plot their own data point.
- How many siblings do you have?
- How many pets do you have?
- What is your shoe size?
- How many states have you lived in?
- How many schools have you been to?
Supersize it.
Everything is more fun when it’s larger than life! Sometimes I use my whiteboard for line plots, but the floor is fun too.
When it’s time to teach line plots, make a giant number line with tape, but make sure you have something to use for the title and label. Miniature whiteboards are perfect for this! I’ve also used sticky notes and index cards.
Let the kids take charge.
Let the kids do all the surveying, all the plotting, and all the talking.
Once your students become familiar with making and reading line plots, they can take control of their own learning. They can create their own questions, collect their own data, and organize it on their own. Last but not least, students will need to interpret their data.
Instead of asking students questions about the line plot, keep it vague to increase critical thinking skills. “What conclusions can you draw?” “What comparisons can you make?”
Want more graphing?
Ready to teach line plots, but wanting more? Be sure to check out my editable measurement and graphing choice boards for 2nd and 3rd graders.
