Angie Lund

Sheila Brune

Topic:



Estimation and
Organizing Data

Grade: 1 – 2

Objectives:



The student
will

1. demonstrate how to organize data by writing down
their estimations and actual findings.

2. demonstrate how to make estimations by writing
estimations about how many beans can be held.

3. compare their estimates to their actual data in
a math journal entry.

Lesson:

The activity will last approximately 1 1/2 hours.

Materials:



paper scissors
pencil beans chart paper (or chalkboard)

Anticipatory Set:

The teacher will read the book,

Jack and the Beanstalk.

The teacher will remind students


that Jack received only five beans for the cow. The
teacher then asks, "How many beans


do you think Jack would have had if he’d received
a whole handful instead of just a few?"

Concept Development/Activity:

1. The teacher asks the students, " Think about
how many jellybeans do you think you can


hold in one hand?" The students share their
estimates with the class.

2. Students are to trace one hand onto paper, cut
it out, and write their estimation on the


thumb. It is helpful for the teacher to model the
procedure.

3. Students are to place jellybeans into their hands,
to see how many they can hold.


The students get into pairs and check the number
of jellybeans the other child held.

4. The students are to cut out a small paper bean
and write the actual number held onto the


paper bean, then glue it to the paper.

5. The teacher will create a large chart which displays
children’s estimations and actual


findings. The children are to arrange their hands
in on a class graph.

6. Students are to identify the smallest number of
beans held, and place the hand in the first


column of the chart.

7. Students discuss possible ways to arrange the
hands into columns.

8. Once students agree on how many numbers are assigned
to a column, they tape the


hands onto the chart.

Practice:

A class discussion will focus on the various sizes
of hands and how many beans were


held. Most likely, a few hands will not fit into
the larger hands – more beans, smaller


hands – less beans theory. Have students discuss
possible reasons why this may have


occurred. To find more accurate data, have students
trace their hands again, this time


keeping their fingers together. Talk about the outcomes
of the second activity.

Closure:

Students will write a journal entry about the hands
and beans activity. They are to talk


about the relationships between the size of the hands
and the amount of beans.

Assessment:

The teacher will monitor the students participation
during the activity. In addition, the


teacher will read the findings recorded in each student’s
journal.

Sources:

Burns, Marylin. (1996).

50 Problem Solving Lessons

.
New York: Math Solutions


Publications.

Regniers, Beatrice Schenk. ( 1985).

Jack and the
Beanstalk.

New York: Collier Macmillian.