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LESSON PLAN

One-to-One and Many-to-One Correspondence in Graphs

A
Apothem Team
Grade 4 · Data & Probability
LESSON AT A GLANCE
Warm-up
5 min
Explore
15 min
Consolidate
10 min
Practice
12 min
Exit ticket
3 min

Warm-up

Show two bar graphs of the same data with different scales. Graph A: scale 1=1, bars reach 20+ squares. Graph B: scale 1=5, bars reach 4 squares. Both correct. Which is easier to read? Why? When would you choose a larger scale? (When data values are large.)

Explore

Scale selection and graph creation: each group receives a data set with values between 20 and 80. They must (1) choose an appropriate scale, (2) build the graph, (3) verify the scale works for all values. Compare: did different groups choose different scales? Are both valid?

Consolidate

Practice

Students create one bar graph and one pictograph for the same data set using chosen scales, then critically evaluate 2 provided graphs for potential misrepresentation. Exit ticket: a bar graph has scale 1=10. A bar is 7 units tall. What value does it represent?

Exit ticket

Students create one bar graph and one pictograph for the same data set using chosen scales, then critically evaluate 2 provided graphs for potential misrepresentation. Exit ticket: a bar graph has scale 1=10. A bar is 7 units tall. What value does it represent?

TIP  Before creating any graph, decide on the scale first. The largest value in the data should determine the scale: choose the smallest scale that keeps the tallest bar manageable (no more than 10-12 units tall).
WORKED EXAMPLES
A pictograph uses scale 1 smiley = 4 people. A category has 2.5 smileys. How many people?

2.5 x 4 = 10 people.

Creating a bar graph: data values are 35, 50, 20, 45. Choose the best scale.

Largest value is 50. Scale 1=5: bars reach 10, 7, 4, and 9 squares. Clean and readable. Scale 1=10 would give a bar of 5, 2, and 4.5 squares (half bars for 35 and 45). Scale 1=5 is better.

MATERIALS
Graph paper (large and small grid)
Stamps or stickers for pictographs
Scale selection guide
Real-world data sets with larger numbers
Misleading graph examples
WATCH FOR
!Students may read bar height without applying the scale. Always ask: what does one square represent? before reading any value.
!Students may choose scale 1=1 regardless of data size, producing unwieldy graphs. Teach the scale-selection process explicitly before asking students to create graphs.