LESSON PLAN

Title: Label-less Graphs Subject(s): Math

Date/Time: Thursday Dec. 15 (11:50-1:30) Strand(s): Data Management
Grade: 5/6

Lesson Description:
In this lesson, the teacher will present the students with a graph with missing labels. As a
class, the students will look at the graph presented and answer the questions: What do you
notice? What do you wonder? Students will use reasoning skills to explain their ideas.
Students will describe and interpret it the data and make predictions about what the title and
labels on the graph might be. Then the labels will be uncovered. Students will work in small
groups to complete the next part of the activity. Each group will be given a label-less graph to
decipher. Students will write down what they notice, what they wonder, and make predictions
about what the graph is showing. Then they will search through all the labels/titles to match up
the missing labels/titles for their graph. To finish, students will engage in a gallery walk and
brief discussion about what the groups discovered and then complete an exit card about
something new that they learned from the activity.

*Lesson inspired by Graham Fletcher’s blog post

Stage 1: Desired Results

Big Ideas/Essential Questions:

How do we read a graph/table? How do we understand data? What are the components of a
graph?

Overall Curriculum Expectations:

Grade 5:
• read, describe, and interpret primary data and secondary data presented in charts and
graphs, including broken-line graphs;

Grade 6:
• read, describe, and interpret data, and explain relationships between sets of data;

Specific Curriculum Expectations:

Grade 5:
– read, interpret, and draw conclusions from primary data (e.g., survey results,
measurements, observations) and from secondary data (e.g., precipitation or temperature
data in the newspaper, data from the Internet about heights of buildings and other structures),
presented in charts, tables, and graphs (including broken-line graphs);

Grade 6:
– read, interpret, and draw conclusions from primary data (e.g., survey results,
measurements, observations) and from secondary data (e.g., sports data in the newspaper,
data from the Internet about movies), presented in charts, tables, and graphs (including
continuous line graphs);

Key Concepts/Skills to be Background Knowledge:

Learned/Applied: Students should be familiar with various types
● Reading, describing, and interpreting of graphs and tables. They should know what
data the different components of a graph are (title,
● Drawing conclusion from data
labels on the axis, scale)
● Reasoning, constructing arguments
● Making connections to other contexts
● Communicating math thinking

Stage 2: Planning Learning Experience and Instruction

Student Groupings: Instructional Strategies:

Whole class Discussion
Small groups Inquiry-based learning
Hands-on learning
Problem-based learning

Materials/Resources: Considerations:
● A variety of graphs with labels ● Review behaviour expectations when
removed working in groups
● One graph with the labels covered ○ Stay on task
with paper flaps ○ Listen to others ideas
● Elmo projector ○ Everyone is participating
● Name popsicle sticks ○ Sit as a group
● Chart paper with WDYN? WDYW? ○ Use materials appropriately
● Markers
● A master copy of all graphs with their
labels included
● Glue, tape

Differentiation:
● This lesson addresses several learning styles (logical-mathematical, visual,
kinesthetic, interpersonal)
● Students can share ideas and scaffold one-another working in groups
● Do an example together as a class
● Support students if they need help through prompting (e.g. You noticed that there are
7 bars along the x-axis, is there something you can think of that relates to the number
7? → there are 7 days of the week)

Assessment:
● Observe what students do and say throughout all parts of the activity
● Take photos of the students as they investigate the graphs
● Exit card: What is one thing you learned today?

Stage 3: Learning Experience

Motivational Hook and Intro:

● Show the students a graph with its labels (axis labels and title) covered with paper
flaps on the elmo
 ● Ask students what they notice about the data and what they wonder just by looking at
the data displayed in the graph
○ Ask students what the data could representing
○ Prompt students to notice how many bars there are, any patterns with the skew
of the results, think about what kind of activity could fit the scale, etc.
○ Ask students: What could the labels for each axis be? What could the title be?
● Write down what they notice and wonder on chart paper hanging on the board
● Uncover one of the labels
○ Does this change your idea?
○ What could the other label be?
○ Ask for new predictions
● Uncover the other label
● What would the title of this graph be?

Lesson:
● Use popsicle sticks to divide students randomly into 6 groups of 4 (1 group of 3)
● Give each group a graph with missing labels and a piece of chart paper with WDYN?
(what do you notice) and WDYW? (what do you wonder) written at the top
● With their group, students will look at the graph and discuss what they notice and what
they wonder about their graph. They will think about what the data it could be
representing.
● Students will write what they notice and wonder on chart paper
● Then they will make predictions about what the graph is representing
● The missing labels (cut off from each graph) will be placed on a table at the front of the
class. Once each group has finished writing down their predictions, they will search
through the labels to find the ones that they believe best match the data visually
displayed in their graph and then match the labels to the correct spots.
● Students will check with the teacher to see if they have correctly matched their labels.
If so, they will glue them onto their graph. If not, they will have to return to the pile to
continue searching for the missing labels that could correspond to their graph.

Closing/Extensions:
● In closing, each group will post their chart paper around the classroom. Students will
do a quick gallery walk to see what the other groups discovered.
● Have students return to their desks. Ask students: Were there any similarities between
the predictions the groups had? What was the purpose of this activity? Invite a few
students to share.
● Pass out a sticky note to each student.
○ Exit card: What is one thing you learned today/or that you found interesting?
○ Students will stick their sticky-notes on the board
● Extensions:
○ What are some questions you could ask about the data in your graph?
○ Have students make their own graphs, remove the labels and then switch with
their classmates.