Lesson Plan: Math, Tally Charts

Teacher: Corey Cohen

I.

Grade Level: First

Content and Standards:

Common Core --- 1.MD.4: Organize, represent, and interpret data with up to three
categories; ask and answer questions about the total number of data points, how
many in each category, and how many more or less are in one category than in
another.
PA Core --- CC.2.4.1.A.4: Represent and interpret data using tables/charts

II.

Prerequisites:
Students must demonstrate prior knowledge of addition and subtraction up to the
tens place, and how to carry over.
Students should be familiar with multiple problem solving strategies.
Students should have experience with solving word problems.

III.

Essential Questions
How do I make and read graphs?
What is a tally chart? (It shows a mark for each vote in a survey)
What is a survey? (It asks people the same question and collects their answers)

IV.

Instructional Objective:
Students will be able to organize and represent data on a graph.
Students will be able to ask and answer questions using this data.
Students will conduct a survey.

V.

Instructional Procedures:

Before: Students will be told that today they may have noticed a new member of our
class, our goldfish. Today we are going to use a new math strategy called a survey
to decide as a class on what to name our fish. They will be told that in order to take a
survey, they have to ask everyone in class the same question, and collect all of their
answers. As a class we will brainstorm: have we ever taken a survey before? How
could we use this kind of information? How do we keep track of the answers to our
survey? The teacher will direct the conversation to how we could make a tally chart to
keep track of our survey answers.
During: On the board, the teacher demonstrates how to create tally marks. The
children will learn a quick mnemonic technique of emphasizing the FIVE out loud
each time they count, so they remember when to make the line across. They will also
be shown an example of how a survey chart looks, and the important information that
they have to include. The format for the survey will remain at the front of the class,
and will be used later in the lesson to conduct our final survey.
After some practice, students will be told that they are going to work in table groups
to think of a name for our fish. They will use a whiteboard to survey each other. The
table leader will be instructed that they will have the final decision on the names that
the table agrees upon, and that they will be the only one that writes on the
whiteboard. They can only pick three names, and then they have to take a survey to
see which name they choose. After the survey, we will come back together as a
whole class and the table leaders will share what the group decided on, and how
there survey ended up.
As a class, we will then take our four (for each table) most popular names and vote
on them all together. The resulting name will be given to our new fish. We will then
briefly answer some questions about the most popular and next most popular names.
After: We will discuss briefly as a class if we found these surveys helpful, and if
anyone can define for me once more what a tally chart and survey are, and how
they can be used. Finally they will spend the remainder of the period completing their
in-book work, starting on page 509. Work will be checked and reviewed by teachers
as students work.
VI.

Materials and Equipment:

McGraw-Hill My Math Workbook (1 per student)

Portable whiteboards (4)

Dry-erase markers (4)
Poster Paper, one large sheet, prewritten to look like a survey.
One fish in a tank (We happen to have brand new class pet!)
VII.

Assessment/Evaluation:
Students will be assessed formatively throughout the lesson. In-class work will be
reviewed, as well as how well students worked in small groups to complete the
activity. This concept will be reviewed by next week in a mid-unit review, and will be
re-introduced the following day to emphasize problem-solving skills.

VIII.

VII. Differentiation: Individualized Activities:

Students with attention issues may have isolated seating after the lesson, once
workbook work begins.
Students with vision problems will sit closer to the presentation chart.

IX.

Technology: This lesson Im actually stepping away from the Promethean board.
My only tech is a fish tank and some very large paper.

X.

Self-Assessment: I want to see my students make the connection that surveys are
a useful way to determine how many people like something, or like multiple things. In
lesson to follow, I should see my students making accurate tallys, and understanding
that the tallys are keeping track of the data in the survey. I would also hope that
making this experience more connected to the every day life of our classroom will
make a deeper connection that will last longer than yet another computer
presentation.