Question of the Day/Week: A Math Graphing Center

MathClassroom CentersClassroom RoutinesCenters or Stations

Nov 3

Graphing is super important because it helps students analyze and organize data. Many times, graphing gets pushed to the side to make more time for addition, subtraction, and place value. This graphing center can be done daily so that students get exposed to graphing each day during math center time. This resource is best used as a math center or fast finisher activity. I use it as a math center. It includes 204 questions for you to choose from for students to graph after they answer, as well as graphing response sheets, and editable graphing place markers.

There are several ways to prep and set up this center, and I’ll walk you through them.

**How to Prep**

There are several ways to prep this daily graphing center. Before prepping, you’ll need to decide if you want to do a question of the DAY, or question of the WEEK. This center is low-prep no matter which option you choose. You will just simply cut your question and answer choices (yes/no) and place them in a pocket chart each day/week. I print out all the questions at once and keep them in a file folder. Each day (or week if you are doing weekly), I pull out a question, cut it, and place it in the pocket chart. This helps me make sure that I don’t duplicate any of the questions.

**How to Prep**

You’ll also need graphing pieces for students to move on the pocket chart. You can cut out the colored stars or squares included in this resource and keep them at the bottom of your pocket chart for students to move, or you can edit the stars, squares, or picture cards to include student names/photos. You could also use store-bought shapes if you have some laying around. This is totally up to you.

**How to Teach/Introduce This Center**

For the first week, you’ll want to do the graphing station together. When I introduce the graphing center into math center rotations, I do it by making it the first center that everyone goes to that week, and we all do it together. After the first week of doing the graphing center together, we resume centers as usual, but students will visit the graphing center on their own when it is their time to do so in the rotation board.
During the first week, I’ll introduce the pocket chart that hangs in the graphing center area of our room, and I’ll show students how to grab their “marker” and move it to their choice after reading the question of the day/week. After this initial week, I have this become a part of their arrival/unpacking routine. After unpacking backpacks, making lunch choices, etc., I’ll train students to read the question of the day and make their choice. Doing it in the morning before math time helps to have all the data in place for later when we do centers.

How Will Students Use This Center?

You’ll need to think about how you want students to complete this station. Do you want them to fill out a printed packet each day or week? Do you want to assemble Question of the Day/Week Folders with prongs and sheet protectors so students can complete their answers in their folder each day? Or do you want to print the two pager (front and back) and put it in a dry erase pocket for students to answer each day. I’ve discussed each option in detail for you below.

Option 1: Printed Packet

This option is easy but it does use a lot of paper. If you are doing question of the day, you’d need to print out daily packets. If you’re doing question of the week, you’d print them out weekly. Students could keep packets in their unfinished work folders until the end of the week. You do also have the option to print out the two pager (front and back), and you could keep a stack of these copied in the graphing center for students to grab, complete, and turn in each day.

Option 2: Dry Erase Pocket

This option is easy and it cuts down on the use of paper. You’d need to use the two-pager (front and pack) option for this, because you’d print it front and back and stick it in a dry erase sleeve. You could keep a stack of these prepped dry erase sleeves in the graphing center for students to grab and fill out with a dry erase marker each day, or you could give each student their own to keep in their desk.

Option 3: File Folder with Prongs & Sheet Protectors

This option is my favorite, but it does require a little prep up front. If you assemble these Question of the Day/Week folders and have your students take care of them, you could reuse them each year. For this option, you would print each page (you can print front and back to cut back on paper) and slide them into sheet protectors. Then you would put the sheet protectors in a 3-pronged folder. I add the Question of the Day/Week Cover Page, and students keep this in their desks. Each day during their visit to the graphing center, they grab their graphing folder book out of their desk to complete each part.