10th Grade Pie Chart Lesson Plan (Math)

Topic: Pie chart introduction

Objectives & Outcomes:

• By the end of this lesson, you will be able to create a pie chart and interpret the data it represents.

Materials

• A computer with a spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets
• A bag of tortilla chips or other snack food
• A pie chart template (can be downloaded from the internet)

Warm-up

• Show the students a pie chart and ask them to describe what they see.
• Ask them to think about what kind of data would be best represented by a pie chart.
• Have them brainstorm a list of potential data categories, such as sports, hobbies, classes, etc.
• Write their suggestions on the board.

Direct Instruction

• Introduce the concept of a pie chart, explaining that it is a circular chart that is divided into segments to illustrate a part-to-whole relationship.
• Explain that the data being represented by the pie chart must be quantitative (measurable) and must have a definite zero point (such as time, money, or distance).
• Introduce the student to the Excel pie chart tool, demonstrating how to create a pie chart and customize its appearance.
• Show an example of a pie chart and discuss the key elements, including the title, data labels, and colors.

Guided Practice

• Have the student work through a series of guided practice exercises, providing assistance and guidance as needed.
• Demonstrate how to create a pie chart in Excel and then have the student create a similar chart using their own data.
• Walk through the key elements of the chart, discussing any questions the student has along the way.
• Assess the student's understanding by having him or her create a pie chart from a set of data provided by the instructor.

Independent Practice

• Have the student work on a project-based independent practice exercise, such as creating a series of pie charts based on different data sets.
• Encourage the student to ask questions and seek assistance as needed.
• Assess the student's understanding by reviewing the completed project.

Closure

• Review the key concepts of pie charts and their use in visualizing data.
• Ask the student to share any questions or ideas about pie chart design.

Assessment

• Observe the student during the activity and provide feedback on their design process and their final product.
• Evaluate their understanding of the key concepts by asking them to explain their design choices and their reasoning behind them.