This lesson is part of the Math
This lesson plan teaches how graphs help us see the math behind the magic
The Secret Behind the Slime Sales
Meet Sam — a 12-year-old who started selling homemade slime at school.
Each week, Sam writes down how many jars were sold:
| Week | Jars Sold |
|---|---|
| 1 | 2 |
| 2 | 5 |
| 3 | 7 |
| 4 | 10 |
| 5 | 14 |
At first, it’s just numbers.
But when Sam plots them on a graph, something amazing happens — the numbers turn into a picture.
A line that goes up! 📈
“Wow,” Sam says, “I can actually see my business growing!”
That’s what graphs do — they turn invisible math patterns into something your eyes can understand instantly.
Turning Data into Pictures
Numbers by themselves can be hard to compare.
Graphs help by showing relationships visually.
The Basics:
- The x-axis (horizontal) usually shows time or input.
- The y-axis (vertical) shows results or output.
- Together, each point (x, y) tells a story.
Example:
(1, 2), (2, 5), (3, 7), (4, 10), (5, 14)
→ Each one shows “Week” and “Jars sold.”
Draw them, connect the dots — and boom! You’ve made a line graph.
Activity 1 — Graph Your Own Story
Choose something you can measure for a week:
- Hours you sleep each night
- Minutes spent gaming
- Temperature outside
- Steps walked
- Record the numbers in a table.
- Plot them on a graph (paper, whiteboard, or digital tool like Desmos).
- Connect the dots and look for patterns.
💡 Ask yourself: Does your line go up, down, or stay flat? What does that mean?
Activity 2 — Guess the Graph
Draw three simple graphs (or print them out):
- One goes up (increasing)
- One goes down (decreasing)
- One stays flat
Now challenge a friend:
“Which one shows someone improving their running time?”
“Which one shows a plant growing?”
“Which one shows how much pizza is left over time?”
Graphs are like stories made of lines and dots.
Activity 3 — Make Graph Art
Who says math can’t be creative?
- Use coordinates (x, y) to draw a shape or pixel art picture.
- Try making a heart, star, or smiley face using points.
- You can use grid paper or Desmos for this.
This shows that even art has math hiding inside it!
How This Connects to Machine Learning
Computers love graphs — because graphs help reveal relationships.
When you plot your slime sales or step count, you’re doing what a machine does when it looks at data.
- A computer “sees” data as points in space.
- It looks for patterns and trends (just like your line going up).
- It uses those patterns to predict what might happen next — the core of machine learning.
So when you draw graphs, you’re literally thinking like an AI data scientist.
Takeaway Message
Graphs turn math into pictures — and pictures make patterns visible.
Every time you make or read a graph, you’re taking the first step into data science.
Optional Extensions
For Teachers / Parents / Older Students:
- Create bar graphs comparing favorite snacks or sports.
- Introduce scatter plots (two related measurements, like height vs. arm span).
- Use Google Sheets to visualize real-world data. Example: ShallWeLearn MTM Lesson 2 Resource
Bar Graph
Scatter Plot
