How to Teach Bar Graphs to Third-Graders

There are many different ways you can teach bar graphs to third graders, including worksheets, textbooks and of course the chalkboard. Instead of boring your third-graders by drilling information into their heads, make it fun. Use visual items and allow the children to actually build the bar graph themselves in just a few easy steps.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Stiff poster board
• Small lightweight items in multiples
• Adhesive
• Marker
• Blank bar graph worksheets

1. Hang a piece of stiff poster board on the wall in your third-grade classroom. If hanging the poster board is not possible, place it on a flat table or desk instead.

2. Select a variety of lightweight items like candy, beads, stickers or even photographs. You need to have many items that will allow the third-graders to choose one as their favorite. If the items you are using are not self-stick, you will need to place a piece of adhesive onto the back of each item.

3. Draw a square onto the poster board. Then draw one row for each type of item you have that you will be graphing plus one inside the square. If you choose five types of food stickers, you will need to draw six rows. In the bottom row, write the number of students you have in your third-grade class.

4. Explain to the third graders that a bar graph is used to compare data and can show quick estimations about that data. Show them what each space on the bar graph is for and then allow each child to choose their favorite item from your selection and stick it on the space provided for that item. In other words, if they choose a fruit sticker, it needs to go on the row designated for fruit.

5. Draw out the graph using bars on a blank bar graph worksheet and show it to the children. Explain that the bars are drawn to a certain number to show which items they chose most.

6. Give your third-graders individual blank bar graph worksheets and allow them to draw their own bar graphs using some other data, such as their family members. For example, how many sisters, brothers, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. Then display the bar graphs and show the children the difference in each of their family members.

References

• Make a Living Graph

Resources

• Blank Bar Graph Worksheets