Random-osity: Birthday Graph

Birthday charts. Every teacher has one, usually it's a teacher designed "name, date, etc" poster. I adapted this from a teacher whose room I worked in during college and love using it as a first day math/about me activity.

It's a birthday graph. The children are each given a little birthday cake. On it, they write their name, and the number their birthday is in their month (4 or 10, etc). Then they decorate it.

After they've decorated it, we build our graph on the white board using magnets to tack them up. Then we talked about what we observed, this was a great way to get our math brains working.

Since I teach 2 sections of third grade, but we are one big class, I did this twice, then built the final graph. The second day of school, we talked about how it looked different then each individual section's graph and checked to see if our predictions of the combined graph were accurate or not.

Great way to start talking about math and get to know the kids and make a birthday chart!

also...going to do a better job at promoting my Monday link-up!

come join the Good.Random.Fun. each Monday, right here!

15 thoughts on the matter:

Unknown said... {Reply}: Cute, I remember doing this when I was in elementary school.

-Nicky @ awesomeville; September 11, 2014 at 5:42 AM
Dara @ Not In Jersey said... {Reply}: fun idea!; September 11, 2014 at 9:02 AM
Heather{Our Life In a Click} said... {Reply}: You make learning fun!! I love this idea!; September 11, 2014 at 9:39 AM
tinajo said... {Reply}: That´s really cute! :-)

http://tinajoathome.com/; September 11, 2014 at 9:45 AM
Kim Stevens said... {Reply}: What a fun way to teach while they learn! xo; September 11, 2014 at 10:54 AM
Nicki said... {Reply}: Cake and crayons - now that is how math should be taught. Very cute idea. No April though, interesting!; September 11, 2014 at 11:02 AM
Kim Cunningham said... {Reply}: That's so fun and a great way to build interest around math. Everybody loves to talk about birthdays!; September 11, 2014 at 11:39 AM
Buckeroomama said... {Reply}: I love how math is taught these days... a far cry from how they taught math back when I was in primary school.; September 11, 2014 at 12:26 PM
Gina Kleinworth said... {Reply}: Very cool - I think hands on graphs really draw them in. Great job!!; September 11, 2014 at 12:27 PM
carol l mckenna said... {Reply}: Making math creative and fun ~ Classroom looks very inviting and organized ~ Happy week to you and your class!

artmusedog and carol (A Creative Harbor); September 11, 2014 at 1:15 PM
Unknown said... {Reply}: I love to see all the different ways the kids decorate their cakes!; September 11, 2014 at 2:53 PM
Carol Blackburn said... {Reply}: Education and Ms. Benjamin = FUN :); September 11, 2014 at 5:27 PM
Maureen @ Josephina Ballerina said... {Reply}: Hi Tamar,
I'm a quilter. The colors in that last photo are very appealing to me.
:) maureen
PS You can put MY cake in that empty April slot!; September 11, 2014 at 9:03 PM
Jade @ Tasting Grace said... {Reply}: I was going to make a totally inappropriate joke about math and birthdays and figuring out popular times for conception...but I'll refrain. :); September 13, 2014 at 1:18 AM
Shoshanah said... {Reply}: Poor April! It doesn't get any birthdays to celebrate. I just think it's kind of funny that it all worked out that way.; September 14, 2014 at 10:53 AM