Developing the ability to problem solve is a primary goal of mathematics instruction. It works best in a learning environment that encourages exploration of a variety of approaches to a problem, rather than a single, correct path. To practice this skill, give each team of students a yardstick, tape, paper and pencils and ask them to measure and record the height of everyone in their group. Be available to help them think through possible solutions, should they get stuck.
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics identifies conversion of common measurements as a core mathematical standard. The data students collected while measuring the height of their group members provides a perfect opportunity to put this into practice. Have teams of students develop charts that provide conversion from inches to feet to yards, including fractions. Discuss which units of measure would work best for a bar graph.
Students are surrounded by graphs in their daily lives -- newspapers, magazines, social studies books and television all use graphs to represent information. Collecting and representing data in graphs is another mathematical standard established by the NCTM, as well as an opportunity to further develop problem solving skills. Have your students summarize the height measurement data from each team and work in teams to construct colorful bar graphs that represent the data.
Looking for patterns in the data is a good exercise in developing algebraic thinking and an opportunity to introduce statistical concepts. You can help your fourth graders develop these skills by displaying the completed graphs and discussing the results with them. Consider things like the range of numbers, the shape of the data and whether there are any clusters. Calculate the average and mode. Discuss the type of information a bar graph represents and how it is different from a line graph.