Baldwin Wallace University

School of Education
Lesson Planning Form
Katie Anderson
I. MAJOR TOPIC: Line Graphs in the Lorax
3rd grade

Date: December 2014

Grade Level:

II. MATERIALS:
2 different colored pencils (any color) per child
3 graphing sheets per student
Writing assignment for each student based on their level
III. CANDIDATE RESOURCES:
http://www.clexchange.org/ftp/documents/x-curricular/CC2012_TheLoraxGraphslessons.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYmrPn1CnzY
IV. (A.) NATIONAL/STATE STANDARDS:
ODE. SS. 3. Economic Decision Making and Skills
o #14 - Line graphs are used to show changed in data over time
ODE. ELA. 3. Key Ideas and Details
o #1 - Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring
explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
IV. (B.) NATIONAL/STATE TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS:
N/A
V. OBJECTIVE(S):
By the end of the 40 minute lesson, the students will demonstrate their understanding of line
graphs through creating three of their own graphs.
o I Can create line graphs based on the Lorax!
By the end of the 40 minute lesson, the students will be able to ask and answer questions about
the quantities of Truffula Trees and Thneeds in the Lorax.
o I Can ask and answer questions about the Lorax!
VI. PROCEDURES
Transition/Focus Attention:
As the students are putting away their Math supplies, the teacher will have a picture on the board of the
Once-ler saying How Bad Can I Be? The teacher will ask the students to think about how bad he is.
Motivation/Hook:
The students will watch the part of the movie with the song How Bad Can I Be?
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYmrPn1CnzY) This is the part of the movie where the Thneed
production is at an all-time high.

What do you think is going to happen to all of the Truffula Trees?

Why do you believe the Once-ler is bad?
Do you think the Once-ler did this on purpose?
How many Truffula trees, do you think, are there at the end of this song?

Set Behavior Expectations:

Today were working as a whole class. I expect you to be on your best behavior and talk only when
youre called on.
Set Purpose:
This whole week were learning about the Lorax! Today were learning how to graph different parts of
the Lorax.
Strategy and Grouping Pattern Used:
N/A
Group Size:
Whole class/Individual
Steps/Learning Activities/Anticipated Time:
(3 minutes) The students will watch the part of the movie with the song How Bad Can I Be?
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYmrPn1CnzY) This is the part of the movie where the
Thneed production is at an all-time high.
o What do you think is going to happen to all of the Truffula Trees?
o Why do you believe the Once-ler is bad?
o Do you think the Once-ler did this on purpose?
o How many Truffula trees, do you think, are there at the end of this song?
(10 minutes) To start off this lesson, the teacher will talk about how you make a line graph. A
line graph is made by gathering date and plotting. The teacher will ask the students, Do you
believe the trees on Earth have gotten bigger or smaller? For this question, the teacher will
have the students put their thumbs up for up and thumbs down for down. The teacher will then
take a tally of the ups vs downs. The class will then talk about how, over time, the amount of
trees on the Earth, just line in the Lorax, are diminishing. The teacher will pull up, on the smart
board, an empty line graph. While working with the teacher, a few of the students will come up
to the board and label the X (horizontal) and Y (vertical) axis. On the X axis, one of the students
will write Time. Then, on the Y axis, one of the students will write Number of Trees. Then,
the teacher will have student volunteers come up to the SmartBoard and write past, present,
future along the X axis below the prewritten lines. The teacher will then have student volunteers
come up to the SmartBoard and write many, some, few along the Y axis to the left of the
prewritten lines. Then, the teacher will work through, with the students, how the trees started off
with a lot and has slowly lessened. While teaching this, the teacher will draw the downward
slope on the line graph.
(1 minute) Next, the teacher is going to have the teachers helper hand out the teaching packet
on line graphs. This packet has three L shaped bar graph outlines and three prewritten lines on

both the X and Y axis. Each child will pull out two colored pencils (different colors) and await
instruction.
(5 minutes) The teacher will then explain to the students we are going to work on our first graph
about the Lorax. The teacher will mention this is going to be about the Thneeds produced. The
students will choose one of their colored pencils to use for this graph.
o What do you believe we are going to graph about the Thneeds? (how the amount
went up!).
o What are we going to write below the X axis? *Hint* it is similar to our example
(Time)
Then, as the students are writing this on their paper, the teacher will fill in the example on the
SmartBoard.
o What are the parts of a story? (beginning, middle, end)
The teacher will have the students fill these words in below the prewritten lines along the X axis.
Just like we did in the example
o What are we going to write next to the Y axis? *Hint* it is about whats being made
(Total Thneeds Produced)
The teacher and students will fill this in on their graph.
o How many Thneeds were there throughout the book? (none, some, many)
Again, the teacher and students will fill this one in.
Now, the teacher and students will have their graphs labeled. After the graphs are labeled, the
teacher will ask Do you think there were a lot of Thneeds in the beginning of the story or
none? The teacher will have the students raise their hands if they think there were none and the
teacher will write anecdotal notes on the amount of children who got this question right. Did
the amount of Thneeds go up or down? Again, thumbs up are up and thumbs down for down.
The teacher will take anecdotal notes. The teacher will then draw the line graph starting off in
the beginning and slowly going upward so that at the end there are many. The students will then
draw their graph the same say.
(5 minutes) The next graph will be on the amount of Truffula Trees. The students will use the
other colored pencil they have taken out.
o What do you think we are going to put on the X axis? (Time)
What are the labels going to be? *Hint same as the other graph (Beginning,
Middle, End)
o What do you think we are going to put on the Y axis? (Number of Trees)
What are the labels going to be? *Hint same as the other graph (None, Some,
Many)
After labeling the graph, the teacher will ask the students Do you think there were more trees
at the beginning of the story or the end? (thumbs up = beginning; thumbs down = end) The
teacher will, again, take anecdotal notes. The teacher will have a student come up to the board
and draw their graph, if they believe they know the right answer. If the student was right, the
other children in the class will draw their graph to look the same.
(5 minutes) Finally, for the last graph, the teacher will as the students Do you know what we
are going to do for the last graph? (combine the two) The teacher will explain that the reason
we use two difference colored pencils is because we are going to combine the two different
graphs on one graph. The teacher will explain that the X axis is going to stay the same (Time in
the story; Beginning, Middle and End), but, the Y axis is changing a little. There are going to be

two labels on the Y axis. Can anyone tell me what the two labels are going to be? (Total
Thneeds Produces and Number of Trees). Finally, the students are going to draw both of the
graphs on this one graph using the same color they used in the original.
**All of the graphs are going to receive a completion grade
(7 minutes) Then, the teacher will hand out a paper for the students to write their explanation of
the last graph and why the two graphs look different.
o Below Level
The below level students are to finish the following prompts:
When the Once-ler arrived, there were _____ trees.
As the number of Thneeds _____ the number of Truffula trees _____
(hint: increase/decrease)
o On-Level
The on-level students are going to finish the following prompt:
When the Once-ler arrived
After he started making the Thneeds, the Truffula trees
At the end of the story,
o Above Level
The above level students are not going to receive any prompts just simply the
instructions on explaining why the last graph looks as well as it does.
(5 minutes) Conclusion: The teacher will have the students summarize what they have learned
today while making graphs. (X axis, Y axis, how to graph)
o What did we learn today?
o How do you think the decline in Truffula trees could have been avoided?
o How do you think Thneedville will look in 5 years? 20?

Differentiated Instruction:
Below Level
o The below level students are to finish the following prompts:
When the Once-ler arrived, there were _____ trees.
As the number of Thneeds _____ the number of Truffula trees _____ (hint:
increase/decrease)
On-Level
o The on-level students are going to finish the following prompt:
When the Once-ler arrived
After he started making the Thneeds
At the end of the story,
Above Level
o The above level students are not going to receive any prompts just simply the instructions
on explaining why the last graph looks as well as it does.
Closure:
Conclusion: The teacher will have the students summarize what they have learned today while making
graphs. (X axis, Y axis, how to graph)
What did we learn today?

How do you think the decline in Truffula trees could have been avoided?
How do you think Thneedville will look in 5 years? 20?

Assessment:
The teacher will take anecdotal notes of the students answers to any imbedded questions.
The students will be assessed on the completion of their graphs.
The students will be assessed on their explanation following the third graph.
Transition:
The students will pack up their desks and line up at the door to get their backpack and get ready to go
home.
VII. REFLECTION - All of the following questions should be answered by the candidate following the
lesson.
How do you know that learning took place? How do the data support your conclusion?
What kind of adaptations did you make to accommodate individual differences? What other
adaptations would be helpful to accommodate the needs of individual students?
Other than the modifications discussed above, would you change any aspect of the plan or how
you conducted the lesson? (E.g. introduction and transitions, sequence of activities, time
management, questioning, etc.) Why or why not? What changes would you make?
Signature of Cooperating Teacher:

Date: