Unit Plan 17 (Grade 1 Math): Data—Organize & Interpret

Focus: Sort data into categories (up to three); make and read tally charts, picture graphs, and bar graphs (single-unit scale); answer how many, how many more/less, and explain thinking.

Grade Level: 1

Subject Area: Mathematics (Measurement & Data)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–60 minutes per session

I. Introduction

Students learn to gather and organize data, then represent it with tally charts, picture graphs, and bar graphs. They practice reading titles, labels, and the scale (each mark/picture/bar = 1) to answer questions like how many and how many more/less.

Essential Questions

• How do I sort objects into clear categories and count them accurately?
• What do titles, labels, and scales tell me on a graph?
• How can I use a graph to figure out how many more or how many fewer?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Sort a set of objects into up to three categories and record counts with a tally chart.
2. Create picture graphs and bar graphs (single-unit scale) with correct titles and labels.
3. Ask and answer questions about totals, category counts, and how many more/less.
4. Explain and critique conclusions using evidence from the graph (MP.3).

Standards Alignment — CCSS Grade 1 (threaded across the unit)

• 1.MD.4: Organize, represent, and interpret data with up to three categories; ask/answer questions about the total number of data points, how many in each category, and how many more/less are in one category than in another.
• Mathematical Practices: MP.3 (Construct arguments & critique) emphasized; MP.6 threaded for precision.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can sort objects into categories and count with tallies.
• I can make a clear picture graph or bar graph with a title, labels, and a scale of 1.
• I can use my graph to tell how many more/less and explain how I know.