Choose a class curriculum area or lesson to collect data from. Make sure you select something with quantifiable, or countable, items or objects. For example, if your class is learning about rain forest animals during science class, count how many have fur, scales or feathers to graph.
Ask the students to make observations and collect data. This entails counting a specified animal, object or item. Alternatively, you may also choose to graph opinions and tally the responses that the children make. For example, if you ask the children to tell you what their favorite class subject is, you will count and tally how many kids enjoy numbers, science, words, music, gym, art or another subject.
Make a list of the things you are counting on the chalk board or a piece of poster board that is at least 11 by 14 inches in size. Write the list in bold letters with a marker. Add the numeral for each count next to the word. Ask the children to repeat the word and the number for each. This will help with early literacy and mathematics skill development.
Choose a specific type of graph to use. Easy options include bar, picture or sticker graphs. To make a bar graph draw two perpendicular lines on an 11 by 14 inch or larger piece of poster board. Make the horizontal line approximately three inches from the bottom of the poster board and the vertical live at least two inches from the left side. Write the items to be counted along the horizontal line and the numbers, starting with zero at the bottom, along the vertical line. Use the markers to create thick bars measuring the numbers of items. Picture and sticker graphs may be much the same, but use images instead of bars.
Have the children help you to color in the bars or images with markers. Take turns passing the poster board graph around so that everyone gets a turn.