Line Plot Explorers: Graphing with Toy Airplanes!

Mathematics Grades 2nd Grade 4:54 Video
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Lesson Description

Learn how to create and read line plots using fun toy airplane data. Perfect for 2nd graders!

Video Resource

Line Plots for Kids | Math for 2nd and 3rd Grade | Kids Academy

Kids Academy

Duration: 4:54
Watch on YouTube

Key Concepts

  • Data Collection
  • Line Plots
  • Data Interpretation

Learning Objectives

  • Students will be able to collect data by measuring objects.
  • Students will be able to create a line plot to represent data.
  • Students will be able to interpret data from a line plot.

Educator Instructions

  • Introduction (5 mins)
    Begin by introducing the concept of data and how we can use it to learn about things around us. Ask students if they have ever collected data before (e.g., favorite colors, types of pets). Explain that today, they'll be learning about a special type of graph called a line plot.
  • Video Viewing (7 mins)
    Play the YouTube video "Line Plots for Kids | Math for 2nd and 3rd Grade | Kids Academy." Instruct students to pay close attention to how the data is collected and how the line plot is created. Briefly pause after the data collection part to reinforce key points.
  • Discussion (5 mins)
    After the video, facilitate a class discussion about the video. Ask questions to check for understanding (see Discussion Questions section).
  • Interactive Exercise: Airplane Measurement (10 mins)
    Provide students with rulers and different sized objects (like pencils, erasers, toy cars etc.). Have them measure the length of each object in centimeters. They should record their measurements. You can predefine the measurement to a whole number only for ease.
  • Creating Line Plots (10 mins)
    Guide students in creating a line plot using the data they collected. Draw a line on the board or provide pre-printed line plot templates. Help them label the line with the different lengths they measured. Then, show them how to represent each object's length with an 'X' above the corresponding number on the line plot.
  • Interpreting Line Plots (8 mins)
    Once the line plots are created, ask students questions about their data. For example: 'Which length was the most common?', 'How many objects were 5 cm long?', 'Were there any objects that were 8cm long?'

Interactive Exercises

  • Airplane Measurement
    Students measure the length of various toy airplanes and record the data.
  • Creating Line Plots
    Students use the airplane data to create their own line plots.

Discussion Questions

  • What is a line plot?
  • What kind of information can you show on a line plot?
  • How can line plots help us understand data?

Skills Developed

  • Data Collection
  • Data Representation
  • Data Interpretation

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:

What is a line plot?

Correct Answer: A type of graph that shows data on a line

Question 2:

What does the 'X' on a line plot usually mean?

Correct Answer: One data point

Question 3:

If you have 3 airplanes that are 5 cm long, how many 'X's would you put above the number 5 on your line plot?

Correct Answer: 3

Question 4:

What do we call the information we collect when we measure things?

Correct Answer: Data

Question 5:

Why is it helpful to put your numbers in order before making a line plot?

Correct Answer: It helps you not miss any numbers

Question 6:

What tool do we use to measure the toy airplanes?

Correct Answer: Ruler

Question 7:

Which of these can we use to measure length?

Correct Answer: Inches

Question 8:

If no airplanes are 6 centimeters long, what do you put above the number 6?

Correct Answer: Nothing

Question 9:

Where do we mark each measurement on the line plot?

Correct Answer: On top

Question 10:

How does a line plot help us?

Correct Answer: It helps us understand information

Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 1:

A line plot is a type of _______ that shows data on a line.

Correct Answer: graph

Question 2:

Each 'X' on a line plot means ____ data point.

Correct Answer: one

Question 3:

We use a ______ to measure the length of things.

Correct Answer: ruler

Question 4:

The numbers on the line plot tell us the ______ of the airplanes.

Correct Answer: length

Question 5:

Putting the numbers in _______ can help us make a line plot.

Correct Answer: order

Question 6:

We use ___________ to mark each data point on our line plot.

Correct Answer: X

Question 7:

When making a line plot, we write the __________ across the bottom.

Correct Answer: numbers

Question 8:

The longest airplane was ______ centimeters long.

Correct Answer: 14

Question 9:

Looking at the line plot helps us ____________ our data more easily.

Correct Answer: understand

Question 10:

If there are no airplanes of a certain length, we leave that spot on the line plot __________.

Correct Answer: blank

Educational Standards

2.D.1:Collect, organize, and interpret data. 2.D.1.2:Organize a collection of data with up to four categories using pictographs and bar graphs in intervals of 1s, 2s, 5s or 10s.

Teaching Materials

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