Grade PreK

Pre-K: Graphing - All in a Row

Addition and Subtraction Horizontal Strand

Prekindergarten Guidelines:
(1) Number and Operations. Understanding the concept of number is fundamental to mathematics.
Children come to school with rich and varied informal knowledge of number. A major goal is to
build on this informal base toward a more thorough understanding and skills. Children move from
beginning to develop basic counting techniques in Pre-Kindergarten to later understanding
number size relationships and operations. The child:
• begins to compare the numbers of concrete objects using language (e.g., “same” or “equal,”
“one more,” “more than,” or “less than”)
• combines, separates, and names “how many” concrete objects.

Prekindergarten Connections to Other Strand Guidelines:

(5) Classification and Data Collection. Children use sorting to organize their world. As children
recognize similarities and differences, they begin to recognize patterns that lead them to form
generalizations. As they begin to use language to describe similarities and differences, they begin
sharing their ideas and their mathematical thinking. Children can be actively involved in
collecting, sorting, organizing, and communicating information. The child:
• matches objects that are alike
• describes similarities and differences between objects
• sorts objects into groups by an attribute and begins to explain how the grouping was done
• participates in creating and using real and pictorial graphs.

Purpose:
Classification and Data Collection are the foci of the lesson. Students collect, organize, and display
data to address addition and subtraction situations. Students construct graphs in two ways: with objects
or pictures and with themselves, with each person or object representing one piece of data. Analyzing
the graphs, the students create the opportunity to integrate number and operation skills that lay the
foundation for addition and subtraction.

Groupings: Whole group, small groups

Suggested Vocabulary:
combine how many same
compare less than
equal more than

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Materials:
• Assorted shells (or pictures of shells if real shells are not available) – at least two different types
– shell size (1/2-inch to 1-inch in size)
• Floor graph
• Linking cubes (if shells are not available)
• Buttons
• Beads
• Index cards for labels

For Each Student:

• Handout PreK-1: Sorting Mat
• Handout PreK-2: 1-Inch Cube Comparison
• Handout PreK-3: Ten-Frames

Suggested Pacing:
• 3-5 days

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Procedures Teacher Notes

Engage:
1. Introduce the lesson by asking the students the
following questions:
• Have you ever been to the beach?
Responses may vary.
• What did you see at the beach?
Responses may vary. Possible responses include:
Students should respond with sand, water,
waves, fish, seagulls, seashells, etc.
• Have you ever collected shells at the beach?
Responses may vary.
Prior to Engage:
Collect various beach scenes to
show the students.
Teacher Note: The beach is just one
scenario. The basic activity should
be a regular routine, occurring
weekly in the classroom. Use any
idea for a survey relevant to the
students.

Allow one or two students to share personal stories

of their experiences at the beach.

Explore:
1. Provide a collection of shells for each table group or
pair of students.
Today we are going to sort a collection of seashells.
2. Have table groups or pairs of students examine the
shells.
• Are any of your shells the same?
Responses may vary. Possible responses include:
Yes, both of these shells are pink. Pink is an
attribute that describes these two shells.
It is best to use real shells; however,
cards for sorting can also be created
from clip art, magazine pictures, or
other print resources if real shells are
not available.
Sorting, collecting data, and
organizing data provide the
opportunity to analyze the data and
develop number and operation skills.

3. The teacher then explains,

Today, we are going to sort the shells into two
groups. One group will be all of the shells that have
a certain attribute such as a pink color and the other
group will be all of the shells that are not pink.

• Can you think of another attribute?

Responses may vary.
Some examples of attributes for seashells might
be color, texture, shape, etc.

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4. Instruct students, with your partner or table group,
find common attributes among the shells.
Choose one attribute to use to sort the shells.
Encourage students to use an attribute other than
color.
5. Have each set of partners or each group share the
different ways they sorted the shells. Make sure each
group identifies its sorting attribute.
Explain:
1. Choose 10 students. Allow each student to select one Note
of his/her shells.
Select one shell from your group of shells.
2. After the students have selected a shell, ask the
students to come to a designated area in the room.
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Caution
Students should not be sorting by
size unless they can define “big” and
“small.” Should a student sort by
size, then the student should define
the benchmark for “big” and the
benchmark for “small.”
Handout PreK-1: Sorting Mat
If a larger organizer is needed,
teachers could use hula hoops as
their defining circles.
DO NOT TELL students how to sort
the shells. Observe as they sort and
ask questions about why they are
sorting the way they are. Ask them
to tell you why shells are in different
groups.
The reason for 10 students is that the
PK guidelines say, “counts concrete
objects to five or higher.” Base the
number of students selected on the
readiness of the students.
Teacher Note
For the first half of the year,
graphing should focus on IS and IS
NOT, DOES or DOES NOT, HAS
or DOES NOT HAVE for a single
attribute.
Example: Shoes HAVE or DO
NOT HAVE laces. Toward the end
of the year, students will be more
comfortable with two attributes.
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3. The teacher will name an attribute such as “shape.” Vocabulary

The teacher will hold up the shell to clarify what Kinesthetic connection to
shape he or she is referring to and ask the students to vocabulary, such as sorting into lines
raise their shells if it has that shape. and partnering, is one way to help
students understand the meaning of
4. Have students line up using the one attribute named more, less, and the same. This
by the teacher. One line will consist of the students strategy is especially good for
whose shells HAVE the chosen attribute, and the English Language Learners.
other line will represent the students whose shells
DO NOT HAVE the attribute. (Human Line Graph).
• Which line has more? How do you know?
Responses may vary.
• Which line has less?
Responses may vary.
• Are the lines the same?
Responses may vary.

5. Have students in each line turn so that the two lines

face one another. Tell the students to find a partner
directly across from them and hold hands (forming a
one-to-one correspondence and equally spaced).
Students should be able to easily see which line is
longer when they have a partner. The students
without partners are in the longer line.

6. Repeat the question. Allow students who were not

able to explain the first time another opportunity and
experience to draw on for explanation.
• Which line has more? How do you know?
Responses may vary.
• Which line has less?
Responses may vary.
• Are the lines the same?
Responses may vary.

7. Create a two-column floor grid similar to Handout Note

PK-2: 1-Inch Cube Comparison using tape or two
different colored pieces of paper (no spaces between
the paper).
8. After several comparisons, direct students to the two
vertical column (or two horizontal row) floor graph.
Students should still have their shells in their hands.
The orientation of the graph needs to
vary from horizontal to vertical over
time. When using a horizontal
graph, use the term “row”; when
using a vertical graph, use the term
“columns.”

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9. Have each group of students place its shells on the
floor graph according to the chosen attribute. Have
students determine a name for the graph. Write the
name of the graph on a sentence strip and place it
above the graph. Have students determine the
attribute for the label card.
Ex. If the attribute was shape and the shell was
spiraled, the teacher would place the spiraled shell
directly on the card beside the word “shape.” Then
the teacher would go to the other column (row) and
write the label card NOT and put a non-spiraled shell
on the card.
10. Discuss the shells in the NOT spiraled column
(row). Make sure none of the shells in the NOT
column have the attribute to help students
understand the word NOT.
11. Have students compare the columns (or rows) of the
graph.
• Which column has more?
Responses may vary.
• Which column has less?
Responses may vary.
• Are the columns the same?
Responses may vary.
Students should be able to make
connections how the human line
graph relates to the shell graph. If
not, have the students line up next to
their shell.
To help students understand the
word NOT, have the students
discuss the fact that in the NOT
spiraled column/row, NONE of the
shells has that attribute.
Prekindergarten Guidelines
(1) Number and Operations
The child begins to compare the
numbers of concrete objects using
language (e.g., “same” or “equal,”
“one more,” “more than,” or “less
than”)

12. Guide the students to make statements describing the

graph.

Ex: There are two less in the spiraled column

than in the NOT spiraled column.

Elaborate:
1. Working in a small group allows students to apply Handout PreK-1: Sorting Mat
the skill of sorting and representing a graph with
fewer objects. This activity allows for counting
strategies to be emphasized. Place students in small
groups: have one member of the group get a small
handful of shapes, beads, or buttons, etc. and set
them on a plate or a clean sheet of paper.

2. Ask the group to sort the objects using Handout

PreK-1: Sorting Mat. Have the students discuss the
attributes they could use for sorting. Have them
choose one attribute and sort the objects.

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3. Ask students how they can represent their sorted Prekindergarten Guidelines
objects in a graph. Provide the group with Handout (5) Classification and Data
PreK-2: 1-Inch Cube Comparison. The teacher Collection
needs to discuss the graph with the students before The child:
the students use the grid. The teacher should direct • matches objects that are alike
the students to begin with the shared attribute group • describes similarities and
and move those objects from the sorting mat to the differences between objects
one of the columns (or rows depending on the • sorts objects into groups by an
orientation of the mat) in the 1-inch grid graph. attribute and begins to explain
Students can choose either vertical or horizontal how the grouping was done
orientation of the 1-inch grid. • participates in creating and using
When creating a horizontal graph, arrange the data real and pictorial graphs
from left to right. When creating a vertical graph
arrange the data from the bottom to the top.
Remember when we made two different lines with
our shells? One line was spiraled and the other line
was NOT spiraled. This is the same type of graph.
Remember, we only put one shell in each box.

4. Have the group suggest ways to label the graph. The

teacher may want to write the attribute on a sticky
note, then create the NOT attribute sticky note.

5. Have students count the number of objects in each

column (or row).
• Which column (or row) has more?
• How many more? Handout PreK-2: 1-Inch Cube
Comparison
Have students demonstrate finding how many more.
Observe strategies students may use
6. Have students describe the graph in terms of more, to find how many more. Students
less, or the same. may touch, point, or move objects to
count. It is not unusual for students
to recount items already counted as
they develop skills in counting.
Redirect students by placing your
hand with their hand and starting the
counting process over.

Observe the counting strategies

students use. Pointing, touching, or
moving objects all demonstrate
developing one-to-one
correspondence.

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Evaluate:
1. Create a real graph of attribute blocks and present it Assessing with a graph experience
to a small group or to individual students. also allows the teacher to evaluate
• Can you describe how these blocks are number skills addressed in the
sorted? Prekindergarten Guidelines.
Responses may vary.
• What would be a good name for the graph?
Responses may vary.
• How you would label the graph?
Responses may vary.
• How many blocks are in each row (or
column)?
Responses may vary.
• How many blocks are in the graph?”
Responses may vary.
• Which has more? Less? The same?
Responses may vary.
• How many more or less?
Responses may vary.
• Can you sort the blocks another way?
Responses may vary.

Extension:
1. For students that are ready, provide Handout Using an extension activity
PreK-3: Ten-Frames or a plastic Ten-Frame(s). addresses the PK Guideline,”counts
Have students move all of the objects from one row concrete objects to 5 or higher. “
(or column) placing the objects in the Ten-Frame
then move the other row (or column) in the same Handout PreK-3: Ten-Frames
Ten-Frame(s).

2. Remind students that only one object may be placed

in each little box (cell). Teacher may need to
demonstrate how to transfer the objects from the one
inch grid to the Ten-Frame(s).
• How many shells do we have altogether?
Responses may vary.
Note
Vary the side that you start with
when moving objects from the inch
grid to the Ten-Frame. It does not
matter which row is moved first but,
it is important that students move the
objects from the two columns to the
Ten-Frames to look at “altogether”

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rather than comparing.

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Handout PreK-1: Sorting Mat

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Handout PreK-2: 1-Inch Cube Comparison

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Handout PreK-3: Ten-Frames

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