The purpose of this activity is for students to draw their own picture graphs to represent given data. Each student receives a data table to use. After drawing their own graphs, they share their graph with a partner and receive feedback on what is clear and what they could improve. As students represent the data and share their graphs with others, they notice and describe the features of picture graphs that make it easy for others to understand (MP3, MP6). While students are making their graphs, monitor for any features that many students leave out, such as titles or category labels, to emphasize when sharing in the Activity Synthesis.

The data tables will be used again in the next activity.

This activity uses MLR8 Discussion Supports. Advances: reading, writing, and conversing.

• Display graphs of previously selected students.
• “What is the same about these graphs? What is different?”
• 1 minute: quiet think time
• 1–2 minutes: partner discussion
• Share responses.
• Consider asking selected students:
  • “Why did you choose that symbol?”
  • "What other features did you add to your graph to help others understand it?"

The purpose of this activity is for students to represent data in a bar graph. Students use the same data tables from a previous activity, but switch with a partner to make sure they have new data. In the Activity Synthesis, students revisit the similarities and differences between the features of picture graphs and bar graphs by describing what it was like to draw each type of graph. Like the previous activity, students share their graphs with others and compare the different features they include to make their data clear to others (MP3, MP6).

• “How did you know how high to make each bar in your graph?” (I knew 8 people liked math best, so I found 8 on the side and shaded in from that line down.)
• "How was drawing a bar graph like drawing a picture graph? How was it different?" (Just like picture graphs we had to use labels and titles and make sure the numbers matched. It was different because we didn't have to draw different pictures, we could just use the scale and draw towers to match. In a bar graph you have to write the numbers on the side.)