Traditional classes offer students focused instruction in the use of graphs, including identifying a specific topic area, providing questions which guide graph-reading and analysis, and teaching techniques for identifying equations. Graphs can also be used for open-ended projects, which provide students with more opportunity for choosing their own topics, collecting their own graphs, and synthesizing their own answers in writing. These open-ended projects can be designed for almost any traditional elementary, high school, or college/university class, including math, science, language arts, physical education, music, and art.
Graph book series from Schottenbauer Publishing provide ample opportunities for open-ended projects using graphs. These include multi-volume book series on specific topic areas, as well as anthologies of 28 graphs excerpted from these offerings.
The following are three examples of open-ended projects using graphs:
Example 1
Students in class might be asked to select 2 or 3 volumes of graphs on a topic of their choice, and write a 10-page paper based on a subset of graphs in the books. Students may have a few weeks in which to complete the project, which should include citations from encyclopedias and traditional reference books to support their hypotheses and conclusions.
Example 2
During an entrance exam to a private school, students might be asked to use two hours to peruse an anthology of 28 graphs, and write a short essay describing a set of conclusions based on some or all of the graphs in the book.
Example 3
A homeschooler might use an anthology of graphs as the basis for a project in which the student identifies equations for the different graphs, and then writes a paper comparing and contrasting mathematical functions across different situations encountered in the natural world.
Schottenbauer Publishing features over 8,000 graphs, collected into multi-volume series and anthologies in the following categories:
Book Series with Original Graphs
