Prior to teaching children how to acquire and graph data, offer them an explanation of the reason for graphing. Show children a pile of different-colored candies and a graph that illustrates the total amount of each colored candy. Ask students whether they think it's quicker and easier to count each individual candy to determine the number of each variety, or whether it's quicker and easier simply to look at the graph. Inform them that the candies represent the data and the graph illustrates the data. Explain that graphs illustrate data in an easy-to-read way.
Have children collect and order data to use in creating their own graphs. Distribute a given number of objects to students: different-colored crayons, different-shaped cereal pieces or different types of toys, for example. Explain to students that the items are the data they will plug into graphs. Have children sort the items based on their attributes, and instruct them to count and record the total number of items within each group.
Show students how to convert data to graphs. Provide students with paper, and instruct them to write the names of the categories that relate to the data along the bottom of the paper, or the X-axis, and have them write numbers along the left side of the paper, or the Y-axis. Show students how to draw bars along the top of each category to the number of items each category represents. For example, if a child recorded five red crayons onto a graph, she would draw a bar above the word "red" on the X-axis and extend it up to the number five on the Y-axis.
Encourage your students to analyze the data represented on their classmates' graphs. Hang students' graphs in a display area in the classroom, and have students read the graphs to determine who had the most, least or individual numbers of specific items. For instance, ask them to look at the graphs to determine who had six squares or who had the most toy trucks.