Reader Request: Class Survey + Graphing = Understanding Built With Your Class (Cross Curricular Activity)
At the start of every year, I always do a class survey the first day I have my class. It is linked to our class expectation: respect begins with understanding. The information on the survey is valuable to me as a teacher, but it also becomes a powerful cross-curricular tool that teaches me so much about my class. The kids love using REAL data to help make plans for the class. It can also be a great start to a data management unit.
Curricular Links (Good informal early assessment)
· Core Competencies
o Collaboration
o Communication
o Social Awareness and Responsibility
· Language Arts
o Exploring stories and other texts helps us understand ourselves and make connections to others and the world (data analysis + graphing = alternate texts)
o Oral Language
· Math
o Constructing graphs
o Analyzing data
Materials
Lesson 1: The Survey
· Survey for kids to complete
Lesson 2: Graphing the Class
· Collated survey data
· Large pieces of paper to make graphs
· One ruler per group
· 1-2 chart paper pens
· Whiteboard to collect final ideas
Lesson 1: The Survey
Honestly, the survey takes about 10 minutes. I introduce it as a tool for me to get to know them better. It links to our BIG expectation that respect begins with understanding. I am trying to understand more about them.
You could give it as a soft start activity or a morning routine. It really shouldn’t take long.
Here is a digital copy of the survey I created: Class Survey
Once the kids complete the survey, have them hand the survey in.
Teacher Prep for Lesson 2
1. Collate the data as a tally
2. Cut the questions out
3. Staple any survey questions together that you would like to use as a double bar graph
4. Collect materials you will need
5. You may also wish to pre-teach how to build a bar graph by modelling class surveys
Once you collate data, you should look back and read through each survey. Looking for the big patterns is important, but so is what each individual student says.
Lesson 2: Graphing the Class
Tell the class that they will work in pairs to build and analyze ONE survey question on a large sheet of paper. They will share their findings with the class.
Ask students to talk in a group about what a bar graph needs to be complete. Then ask for ideas.
Make a quick drawing of a sample bar graph on the board and add parts as they suggest them. A title? Perfect…I will add one!
Once you have all of the parts, split up your class however you want. I find pairs works best for this activity. Give the kids about 15 minutes to build/analyze. Display ALL of the graphs at the front of the room
When you are looking at the graphs as a class, ask students to think-pair-share twice:
1. What is something thing many of the graphs did well?
2. What is something many of the graphs are missing?
Most likely many graphs will be missing:
1. A title
2. Axis labels
After the discussion, give each pair a chance to fix the graph and add more analysis before putting all of the graphs on the wall again.
Once everyone is ready, have each group share the most important thing they learned about the class from their graph. Record the ideas on a whiteboard if possible. You will end up with 10-15 statements about your class.
Teacher Prep After the Lesson
Paraphrase/summarize the 10-15 statements on an anchor chart that you can put up in your classroom. Refer to the chart throughout the year as you learn different things.
You may decide as a class to change your big goal (my students did last year!).
You may use it to talk about the growth in your class. (Wow, at the start of the year, none of us knew how to use FreshGrade! We are all experts now!)
I hang the anchor chart all year and I also hang up the big graphs for about a week. When we have Meet the Teacher night, my students love taking their families around to the graphs to talk about our class and the patterns we learned about.
What can a teacher look for…
Can kids follow instructions?
What is their penmanship like? Do some of them reverse letters?
Can they use a ruler?
Can they build a graph?
Can they analyze data beyond repeating the numbers? Do they see the patterns? Can they make inferences?
Who is shy and doesn’t want to even say one line in front of the class?
Who has math anxiety?
Who works well in a group?
Who likes to take over?
Follow-Up in June
So, I keep a master copy of the collated data pinned to my wall all year. In June as a follow-up, my class redoes the survey. They then do this activity again BUT make double bar graphs to compare the start of the year to the end. This is a nice bookend.
I love this survey activity. I have done it for about six years of my career, and it helps me get to know the kids. I hope you find this helpful and try to get real/meaningful data into the hands of your students.