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FILL 'ER UP!
Topic: GRAPHS
Subtopic: Line Graphs
Grades: 3-5
In this activity, students make and compare line graphs as determined by the shapes of different bottles, and make predictions about which bottles match which graphs.
Learning Objective:
Students make and use line graphs to track change and make predictions.
NCTM Standard: Data Analysis & Probability
DIRECTIONS
Materials Needed:
For demonstration:
- 2 large sheets of paper for graphing
- 2 see-through plastic containers (See “Tips.”)
- Container of water
- ¼-cup measuring cup
- Funnel
- Centimeter ruler
- Pie pan
- Paper towels
For each group:
- Copy of “Fill ‘Er Up!” activity sheet (or blank graph paper.
(click here for printable activity sheet image)
- 1 see-through plastic container (See “Tips.”)
- Container of water
- ¼-cup measuring cup
- Funnel
- Centimeter ruler
- Pie pan
- Paper towels
Class periods: 1-2
TIPS:
• Use 16- to 20-ounce containers of different shapes, such as wide-mouth, straight jars (peanut butter, jelly); hourglass-shape bottles (dishwashing liquid), short-neck bottles (water), and long-necked bottles (ketchup).
• See-through containers make it easier to measure the height of the water.
Demonstration
1. To prepare, make two graphs as shown on the student activity sheet. (If you don’t have the student activity sheet, simply plot numbers 0-20 on the horizontal axis and label it “Number of Measures.” Plot numbers 0-20 on the vertical axis and label it “Height of Water in Centimeters.”) Select two straight-sided containers of different shapes, such as an 18-ounce peanut butter jar and a pint-size deli container.
2. Have a student pour water, one measure at a time, into the first container. After each pour, have another student measure the height of the water with the ruler and mark it on the first graph. Do this until the water reaches the top of the jar. As the line grows on the graph, invite students to predict what the line will ultimately look like. (Answers may vary. Accept all responses.)
TIP: Continue pouring until the water begins to overflow into the pie pan. That way you’ll be able to see on the graph exactly where the top of the jar is.
3. Make the pours, marking the graph as you go. Compare the finished graph with student predictions.
4. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 with the second container. Discuss the relationship between the containers’ shapes and the graphs they produced. How are the graphs alike? (They both show how the height of the water changes with the number of pours.) How are they different? (The lines have different slopes. In one, the water rose faster so the line is steeper.)
5. Tell students they are now going to make their own graphs with their own containers.
Group Activity
1. Have students work in small groups. Distribute copies of the student activity sheet (or give them a graph as described in Step 1). Make sure each group’s container holds about the same amount as the other groups, but is shaped differently.
2. Have each group fill a container and make a corresponding line graph.
TIP: Have paper towels on hand for spills.
3. When the groups are finished, post their graphs for all to see. Challenge students to match containers with graphs (keeping quiet when the graph is their own).
DISCUSS: How does each line graph tell the story of the container’s shape? (The narrower the bottle, the steeper the slope on the graph. Wider bottles have a slope that is less steep. The slope of the line tells the bottle’s shape.)
Cyberchase Episode: “Return to Sensible Flats”
Something is amiss with the bliss of Sensible Flats. The reservoir is dry. The town is out of water. And the folks who live there are leaving as fast as they can. But why? When the kids and Digit arrive, they use line graphs to reveal the true story of what happened — and all lines lead to Hacker, the newest resident of Sensible Flats.
The Big Idea:
You can use a line graph to tell a story about how things change, and to make predictions.
Cyberchase FOR REAL (Epilogue)
Harry decides to ride his unicycle to visit with his grandmother, and uses a line graph to predict that he can make the 20-mile trip before dark.
STUDENT ACTIVITY
Name: ________________________________ Date: _______________
Fill ‘Er Up!
Make a graph. Label the horizontal axis "number of measures" and mark numbers 0-20; label the vertical axis "height of water in centimeters" and mark numbers 1-20. Mark your graph with each measure and watch how the line changes as you pour.
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