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Working Scientifically Lesson 3 - Describing Graphs - Teaching Ideas

The lesson focuses on teaching students how to describe different shapes of graphs, linking independent and dependent variables, and using appropriate terminology. Activities include pair work for graph description, matching graph shapes with terms, and identifying variables on axes. The lesson culminates in a plenary where students reflect on their learning and improvements in graph description skills.

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Rekha S
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9 views2 pages

Working Scientifically Lesson 3 - Describing Graphs - Teaching Ideas

The lesson focuses on teaching students how to describe different shapes of graphs, linking independent and dependent variables, and using appropriate terminology. Activities include pair work for graph description, matching graph shapes with terms, and identifying variables on axes. The lesson culminates in a plenary where students reflect on their learning and improvements in graph description skills.

Uploaded by

Rekha S
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Working Scientifically Lesson 3: Describing Graphs

Teaching Ideas

Learning Objective: To understand how to describe different shapes of graphs. Resources


Lesson Pack
Success Criteria: • To use different terminology to describe the shapes of
Masking tape (optional)
graphs.
Sugar paper (optional)
• To link the independent and dependent variables.
String (optional)
• To describe graphs with more than one section.

Context: WS 3.1, 3.2, 3.5, from the AQA Specification. This can be
used alongside the experimental key terms lesson. It is the
third lesson in a sequence of four lessons on presenting
data in tables and graphs, directly following Working
Scientifically Lesson 2: Presenting Data in Graphs.

Starter
Put students into pairs and ask them to sit back-to-back. One person from each pair needs to have a graph in front of them, taken
at random from the Starter resource. The other student should have a blank piece of paper. Ask the student with the graph to
describe the shape of the graph to the other student, who should draw what has been described to them.

Give students a couple of minutes to complete this activity. They should then compare the graph drawn with the real one and
discuss in pairs what they did well and, if necessary, how they could have drawn it better. As part of the feedback, ask pupils
what words and phrases were chosen to describe the graphs and elaborate on some of these: were they specific enough, or more
general?

Main Activities
Graph Terminology
This activity could be done in two ways:

• Students could sketch the graphs that are on the board and match up the terms with the correct graphs.

• The activity sheet Matching Graph Shapes could be used.

Extension question: what other terms could be used to describe the shapes of the graphs?

Ensure the solutions to this task are explained in detail in order to prepare for the next part of the lesson. Students may benefit
from noting down some or all of the key terms explored.

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Describing Graphs
Put students in pairs again, but this time split them up into differentiated groups depending on their level. You can set this activity
up in several ways, depending on the space you have available and the degree of interactivity you desire:

Ask students to mark a set of axes on the floor or their desks using masking tape.

Ask students to draw a set of axes onto a large sheet of sugar paper.

Ask students to draw a set of axes on scrap paper (for presentation purposes, this is the least conducive).

Then, distribute the activity sheet Investigations.

The pairs will need to identify the independent and dependent variables shown in the graphs. They should then write the variables
on sticky notes and put them onto the correct axes. They should then work out what the shape of the graph is based on the
description given to them. They could mark this out with tape, with string, a pen, or by other means. The graphs described are
progressively more difficult to interpret.

Linking Variables
Ask students to link the variables in the graphs shown by completing the sentence ‘As the (independent variable)…., the (dependent
variable) ….’

Go through the answers with students. The one for enzyme activity is the most difficult. Some lower ability students may need
guidance for this.

Plenary
Students should pair up and re-enact the starter task, this time providing a graph from the Plenary resource. They should be able
to use the terms that they have encountered during the lesson.

Compare the graphs that they drew at the beginning of the lesson with those at the end. Ask students to give feedback on what
they have learnt and how it helped them to improve their descriptions.

Hopefully, students will say that they now know what terms to use when describing graphs – trend, axis, plateau, increase, variable,
curve, etc. – and therefore found it easier to draw them this time around.

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