Matching Graphs to Stories Activity

Instructions: Work in your groups to match each real-world story to the graph that best represents it. Be ready to explain why you chose each match!

The Graphs

Graph 1: The Bathtub Fill

• Y-axis: Water Level (in inches)
• X-axis: Time (in minutes)

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### Graph 2: The Phone Battery

• Y-axis: Battery Percentage
• X-axis: Time (in hours)

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### Graph 3: The Runner

• Y-axis: Distance from Start (in meters)
• X-axis: Time (in seconds)

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### Graph 4: The Plant Growth

• Y-axis: Plant Height (in cm)
• X-axis: Time (in days)

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The Stories

Story A: A person fills a bathtub. They turn on the water, then pause to adjust the temperature, then turn the water on again until it reaches the desired level, and then turn it off.

Story B: A student uses their phone throughout the day. The battery slowly drains while they are in class, then they play a graphically intense game, which causes the battery to die completely.

Story C: A runner participates in a race. They start strong, then stop for a water break, then sprint to catch up, and then maintain their position as they finish the race.

Story D: A seed is planted. It sprouts and grows slowly at first, then rapidly grows taller during its prime growing season, and then its growth slows down as it reaches maturity.

Graph Interpretation Worksheet: The Commute Story

Instructions: Analyze the graph below, which represents a person's commute to work. Then answer the questions that follow.

The Commute Story Graph

• Y-axis: Distance from Home (in miles)
• X-axis: Time (in minutes)

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Questions

1. What does the x-axis represent in this graph?
   
   
   
2. What does the y-axis represent in this graph?
   
   
   
3. What was the person's distance from home at 10 minutes into their commute?
   
   
   
4. Describe what happened between 10 minutes and 15 minutes. How do you know?
   
   
   
   
   
5. Between which two time intervals was the person traveling the fastest? How can you tell from the graph?
   
   
   
   
   
6. What was the total distance of the person's commute to work?
   
   
   
7. If the person stopped for coffee on their way to work, which section of the graph would represent that stop? Explain your reasoning.
   
   
   
   
   

Teacher Script: Story of a Graph

Introduction & Hook (10 minutes)

(Display Story of a Graph Slide Deck - Slide 1)

"Good morning, everyone! Today, we're going to embark on an exciting journey. We're going to become graph detectives and uncover the amazing stories hidden in lines and curves!"

(Display Story of a Graph Slide Deck - Slide 2)

"Take a moment to look at this graph on the screen. Don't worry about getting it 'right' for now, just observe. What do you see happening here? What kind of real-world event do you think this graph might be representing?"

(Allow students to share observations. Prompt with questions like:)

• "What are the two things being compared on this graph?"
• "What does the line seem to be doing at different points?"
• "Has anyone seen graphs like this before? Where?"

"Excellent observations! It's amazing how much information a simple line can convey. Today, we'll learn how to truly 'read' these graph stories."

Direct Instruction: Graphing the Real World (15 minutes)

(Display Story of a Graph Slide Deck - Slide 3)

"Every good story needs a foundation, and graphs are no different. They are built on two main lines called axes. The horizontal line is called the X-axis, and it usually shows something that changes independently, like time, distance, or the number of items. The vertical line is the Y-axis, and it shows something that changes because of the X-axis, like temperature, speed, or quantity. Most importantly, always check the labels! They tell you exactly what the graph is measuring."

(Display Story of a Graph Slide Deck - Slide 4)

"Now, let's talk about the 'action' in our graph stories: the rate of change. Think about driving a car. Sometimes you speed up, sometimes you slow down, sometimes you stop. A graph's line tells us the same thing!"

• "If the line is sloping upwards, what do you think that means is happening to the quantity on the Y-axis?" (Guide them to understand it's increasing.)
• "What about a line sloping downwards?" (Decreasing.)
• "What if the line is completely flat, horizontal?" (Staying the same, constant.)

"A steeper line means a faster change, and a flatter line means a slower change. It's like a hill: a steep hill is harder to climb quickly than a gentle slope!"

(Display Story of a Graph Slide Deck - Slide 5)

"Just like any story has big moments, graphs have key features that stand out. These help us understand the important parts of the story."

• "What do you think a peak on a graph might represent?" (The highest point, a maximum.)
• "And a valley?" (The lowest point, a minimum.)
• "A plateau is a flat section. What would that tell us?" (No change, stability.)

"We also look at where the graph starts and ends, and if there are multiple lines, where they cross over, or intersect."

(Display Story of a Graph Slide Deck - Slide 6)

"So, to truly understand a graph's story, we put all these pieces together:

1. Axes and labels: What are we measuring?
2. Rate of change: Is it increasing, decreasing, or staying the same? How fast?
3. Key features: What are the highs, lows, and flat spots?
4. Real-world context: How does all of this connect to the actual event?"

"Now, are you ready to become master graph storytellers? Let's give it a try!"

Guided Practice: Matching Stories to Graphs (20 minutes)

"Alright, detectives! I'm going to divide you into small groups. Each group will receive an activity called Matching Graphs to Stories Activity. Your task is to match each real-world story to the graph that best represents it. Discuss your reasoning with your group members. I'll be walking around to help and listen to your fantastic discussions."

(Distribute the activity. Circulate and engage with groups. Ask probing questions such as:)

• "Why did you choose Graph 1 for Story A? What specifically in the graph's line supports that?"
• "What does this flat section in Graph C tell you about the runner?"
• "If Story B had a sudden jump upwards, what might that indicate?"

(After 15-18 minutes, bring the class back together.)

"Let's review as a class. Group 1, which graph did you match with Story A and why?" (Facilitate a class discussion, allowing groups to share their answers and explanations. Clarify any misconceptions.)

Independent Practice: Your Turn to Interpret! (15 minutes)

"You've done a great job working together. Now it's time to test your individual detective skills! I'm handing out the Graph Interpretation Worksheet. You'll see a graph representing a person's commute. Your job is to analyze it carefully and answer the questions based on what we've learned today."

(Distribute the worksheet. Remind students to work independently. Circulate to provide quiet support if needed. Collect worksheets at the end of the time.)

Wrap-up & Assessment: Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

"To wrap up our lesson today, I have a quick Exit Ticket for each of you. This will help me see what you've learned about interpreting real-world graphs. Please answer the questions to the best of your ability."

(Distribute the exit tickets. Allow students to complete them. Collect them as students finish or as they leave.)

"Thank you for being such great graph storytellers today! We'll continue to build on these skills."

Matching Graphs to Stories Activity

Instructions: Work in your groups to match each real-world story to the graph that best represents it. Be ready to explain why you chose each match!

The Graphs

Graph A

graph TD
    A[Time] --> B(Temperature)
    B -- rises steadily --> C(High Temperature)
    C -- remains steady --> D(Constant Temperature)
    D -- falls steadily --> E(Low Temperature)

Self-correction: The mermaid graph library is not supported, I need to describe the graph in text.

Graph A: The Bathtub Fill

• Y-axis: Water Level (in inches)
• X-axis: Time (in minutes)

Graph Description: The line starts at 0, increases steadily for a period, then becomes flat for a short period, then increases steadily again at a slightly slower rate, and finally becomes flat at a higher level.

Graph B: The Phone Battery

• Y-axis: Battery Percentage
• X-axis: Time (in hours)

Graph Description: The line starts at 100%, decreases steadily for a long period, then drops sharply, and then remains at 0%.

Graph C: The Runner

• Y-axis: Distance from Start (in meters)
• X-axis: Time (in seconds)

Graph Description: The line starts at 0, increases steadily, then remains flat, then increases steadily at a faster rate, and then remains flat at a maximum distance.

Graph D: The Plant Growth

• Y-axis: Plant Height (in cm)
• X-axis: Time (in days)

Graph Description: The line starts at a positive value, increases slowly, then increases more rapidly, and then the rate of increase slows down again, forming an