Graphs and Candy

From probability we started talking about statistics in my math class and to start out we were given small bags of m&m's and a packets called graphing m&m's. Just like any other activity we have done we had to answer some questions before starting the activity. when we got to open the bags and dump the m&m's on the table most of the class started separating the m&m's into piles based on the colors. then we had to count out how many of each color we had and record it. Then there was a pictograph we had to color in for each color and m&m we had.

Then we started discussing what dot plots are and they are when you have a small set of data and you put each value on a specific point of a graph using an "x" or a dot. We created our own dot plots for the different colors of m&m's using the entire class data. after that was done we made another pictograph and bar graph based on the class data. We answered "what graph was easier to construct and why" and "what graph was easier to read and why". I answered saying the bar graph was easier to construct and read because make the bars more accurate and read it more accurately then the pictograph.