[KWT]

Does anyone have interesting way to teach stem and leaf plots? What about a website that might help also?

I am sorry to say that I hate stem and leaf plots. I hadn't even ever heard of them before I started teaching a few years ago. They are not fun. I have yet to find a way to make them fun...however this year I did make actual construction paper leaves with stems and put the first part of the number on the stem and the second part of the numbers on the leaf itself...it made more bearable, but fun...nope. At least not for me! That is one thing I dread teaching every year. It did make a nice display on the bulletin board for the season of fall.
Sorry I don't have any kind words to say about stem and leaf plots.
I am anxious to see if anyone does have a way to make them fun!
ha ha.

[Teach'n'Learn]

Bleah, I hate them too. The only thing I can think of is pre-printed worksheets with spaces for the numbers in the shape of stems and leaves. I spend minimal time on them as they seem less useful than other skills that accomplish the same task.

I have an excellent hands-on idea for teaching stem-and-leaf plot.

Materials: index cards with two digit numbers from the tens, thirties, and fourties (i.e. 21, 22, 22, 27, 30, 30, 31, 32, 32, 32, 40, 43, 45). Write the tens places for the twenties in yellow (the ones will be written on small stickie notes and placed in the ones place); the tens places for the thirties are blue, and the fourties places will be red. You will also need a blank stem-and-leaf plot (t-chart with "Stem" and "Leaf" written at top).

Each group of four students receives a stack of these cards and a chart.

First - students sort the cards according to colors. They will figure out that they have actually sorted according to tens places. Have them sort the cards from least to greatest. They need to place these stacks on their stem-and-leaf plots.

Next - Discuss the fact that only tens belong in this column (stem), so they have to remove their ones (stickies) and place them next to their index cards in the leaf (ones) column. Make sure they keep the numbers in order.

Now you can discuss what each number is worth. They will, at first, tell you that each number is worth only the one digit in the leaf column. Discuss that, since they took the ones away from the index cards, they are still a part of that number (i.e. worth 21, 40, etc.).

Once they have realized that each tens digit (stem) belongs with each ones digit (leaves), they can begin searching or mode, median, and range.

I teach an inclusion classroom and the students loved this activity! Have fun!

[KWT]

Thanks, I will definitely try this. What about putting stickies for the tens place in different colors and stickies for the ones place all in yellow on the index card, then writing the actual number on the back of the index card. Then follow the steps of passing out index cards, discussing place value, order etc. That way they could actually place both stickies on the tree that I have drawn on the board. After actually seeing the numbers placed on the tree, we could discuss a T chart and move numbers to the T chart to work on mode, median, and range. Thanks so much for your help.

I have been explaining how to construct them and wondering how to make this information more accessible. I think I've found it in your article. Thank you for the great hands-on activity. :-)