Teaching Graphing in 2nd Grade

Teaching Graphing in 2nd Grade

Hey y'all. It seems like every year I teach graphing. but it's almost always bar graphs or pictographs in kindergarten and first grade. By 2nd grade, we introduce line graphs and line plots, both of which are always super boring in the math books the district provides. So of course I had to make it more interesting!

In this two week unit, we spend the first week learning about bar and pictographs. Their easy for students to make and understand, and most students are familiar with them by 2nd grade. If you teach first grade, you could use the first week of this unit to introduce graphs to your students. 

We start off each week making graphs as a whole class, then students visit a series of 6 stations to apply and practice these skills. 

The second week, students learn about line graphs and line plots, also visiting a series of stations. Students do write the rooms to practice reading graphs and use different data sets to create their own graphs. 

At the end of the of each week, students work in teams to gather data on a topic they (or you) choose and build their own graphs. Every class I've ever had has loved making their own graphs on chart paper. Something about using the teacher's chart paper makes this activity magical! :-p 

Student direction cards are included with each station, so when your students go to their station and suddenly forget all the directions, they can refer back to them and answer their own question. This leaves you to get to the actual teaching and not repeating! 

These stations are simple but powerful. With the self-directedness of each station, your students will not only learn the material but will also gain confidence and independence. The best part for me as the teacher is that I am not competing for students' attention and I can actually see who understands what's going on and who doesn't. It's a win-win. 

To check out the whole unit, click here. And you can find more 2nd grade math curriculum here. 

I'm always adding new resources so be sure to follow me on TPT for all the latest and greatest. I hope you have a wonderful week and stay tuned for more teaching ideas and resources coming soon.

Stay cozy,