FUN DATA! Pencil Rollers: A Data and Graphing Activity

"Pencil Rollers" is one complete data and graphing activity that's fun and engaging. It's one of my FUN DATA! activities, in which students collect, represent, and interpret data in fun ways!

In "Pencil Rollers," students work with partners to flick a pencil across a desk, attempting to roll it as close to the edge as possible without dropping off. They record their pencil roll data in a table, represent the data with a graph, and then answer questions and interpret the data.

Who knew an ordinary pencil could lead to all that?

 

Let's look a little closer at how the activity works.

Students set up a Cliff Drop mat by attaching the two pages end to end, folding down the cliff drop section, and then laying the mat on a desk so the cliff drop section hangs over the edge.

One of the key features of my FUN DATA! resources is the slideshow introduction that walks the class through the main parts of the activity. It helps students visualize what they'll be doing so they can work more independently once they get started. 

I like to project the slideshow onto the big screen to introduce the activity. You can also allow students to access it themselves for reference. (The slideshow comes in two formats: PowerPoint and Google Slides.)

Once the Cliff Drop mat is set up, students place a pencil in the "Start Zone" and flick it. The closer the pencil rolls to the edge, the more points it is worth. Unless, of course, it drops off the cliff... that's zero points! Using the mat's point zones helps standardize the results. 

 

As students go about rolling their pencils, they record their scores into a data table. Four rolls make up a round. After a round, the student adds their scores and records the total for the round.

Students will create ten rounds of data. Most students will get more and more precise with their pencil rolls, even incorporating some strategy in order to achieve more consistently high total scores.

Students then build a graph from their data table. I like using a line graph, with one point for each round's total score. This allows students to clearly see their scoring trends over time. 

After creating and collecting their data into a graph, students interpret the data through a series of questions. Teachers can then debrief as a group, having students share observations, note trends, and draw conclusions about the data.

Many teachers have even said their students will play more Cliff Drop during indoor recess!

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Ready to get the FUN DATA! Pencil Rollers activity? Find it HERE, or tap/click the image below. 

The resource comes with all the activity sheets, post-activity questions, Cliff Drop mat, full slideshow introduction, and teacher instructions. 

Be sure to also check out my FUN DATA! Pencil BUNDLE for more fun data activities using a simple pencil!

Read more about "Pencil Rampers" in my post right HERE.

You might also be interested in my FUN DATA! Coin BUNDLE:

Now let's go out there and collect some data! And let's have fun doing it!