Math: Class Musical Preferences Graph

Date: Monday, March 9

Time: 45 minutes
Students: First Grade ESOL, Southwark Elementary
Goals and Objectives:
Students will use a class-generated graph in order to compare the relative magnitude of numbers and
analyze patterns in the data.
Language objective: student will understand and be able to use the verb prefer (to like more) and the
mathematics vocabulary greater than/less than in order to compare class data.
Standards:
Pennsylvania Mathematics Standards:
CC.2.1.1.B.2: Use place value concepts to represent amounts of tens and ones and to compare two
digit numbers.
CC.2.4.1.A.4: Represent and interpret data using tables/charts
Pennsylvania Language Arts Standards:
1.2.1.D: Make inferences and draw conclusions citing evidence from the text to support answers.
1.8.1.B: Locate and discuss information on an identified topic in a small group, with teacher guidance.
Materials and Preparation:
-CD Can You Hear It?: Flight of the Bumblebee (track 1); Comic Duo For Two Cats (track 9);
Dance of the Knights (Romeo and Juliet) (track 5)
-Student Survey Sheets
-Chart Paper with Graph
-Markers
-Post-its (3 different colors)
-Student butterfly notebook
Technology:
This lesson uses a CD player to present audio recordings of classical music.
Classroom Arrangement and Management:
Students will listen to the musical excerpts at their seats. They will go to the rug for the graph creation
and discussion. Students will return to their seats in order to write (the graph will be brought to the
whiteboard at the front of the room at this point so students can see it).
Students are accustomed to moving between the rug and their seats and this is generally a smooth
transition. If students have nothing to do while other classmates are putting their data on the graph, they
could become bored and disengage. To avoid this, at each step students will be given the observation
task of looking at how the graph changes each time a group of students comes up.
Plan:
Note: Students have done a similar activity using the class weather calendar.

Introduction:
(5 min) Ask students if they remember how we graphed our weather calendar the previous week and if
they remember anything about what the graph looked like and what we found. Inform students that,
since now we are studying music, we are going to do the same thing, but with how students in our class
feel about three different pieces of music. There is no right or wrong answer and they should not pay
attention to what their classmates choose. Model how to circle one of the three numbers on the board
and remind students that they have to choose just one. They should listen to all three before making a
choice.
(5 min) Play three excerpts for students and give them time to circle their choice.
Graph creation and discussion:
(5 min) Call students to the rug with their papers. Graph for pieces 1, 2, 3 and numbers of students will
already be mounted on whiteboard easel. Call students' attention to the graph and go over with them the
two kinds of information (pieces of music versus numbers of students). Ask students who chose piece 1
to raise their hands. Have another student give just those students post-its. Have students come up to
chart and vertically stick on post-its. Repeat with other two pieces. Ask students each time to note how
the graph changes.
(10-15) Once graph is complete, count each bar as a class and write number on top of post-its. Check
against the number of students in class. Ask why it is important to vote only once. Ask students to turn
and talk to a parter: data is another word for information. What do you notice about our class data?
After getting students' initial impressions, ask students to turn and talk to answer: which piece did our
class like most? Which did our class like least? How do you know?
If students have trouble answering, take numbers and make a number line at the top of the chart. Ask
questions to compare numbers and review terminology, so that the vocabulary bigger than/smaller than
and greater than/less than are written on the chart. Ask questions to make sure students connect the
numbers to the significance of the data. Eg if 5 students liked piece 1 but 10 students liked piece 2,
which piece did more students like?
Ask students if they have ideas for using a graph like this to find out other kinds of information.
Writing:
(15 min) Have students return to seats and take out butterfly notebooks and a pencil. Move graph to
front of room.
Put sentence frames on board:
-More students like Piece __ than Piece __.
-Fewer students like Piece __ than Piece __.
-Our class prefers Piece __.
Student will pick one of the first two, and the third.
Students who finish early will be asked to write a second comparison sentence. If there is still time
leftover, they will be asked to draw the graph in their notebooks.
If we have time at the end, we will play the music again and this time talk about why we like one piece

versus another piece.

Assessment of Goals and Objectives:
Formal: Did students write sentences that accurately reflect the class data?
Informal: Did students participate in the turn-and-talk? Were they able to ask and answer questions?
Accommodations:
For students who find the work too challenging:
If students have trouble completing the sentence frames, I will go over the chart data with them. I will
remind students that if they are not sure how to write a word, they should think about the sounds they
know, ask a partner, or look around the room before asking a teacher.
For students who find the work easy/finish early:
Students who finish early will be asked to write in more detail about the data, either from the sentence
frames or using their own words entirely.