Title of Book: Dory Story

Author: Jerry Pallotta

Publisher/Year: Charlesbridge, 2004

ISBN: 978-0-88106-075-1

Grade Levels for Recommended Use: 2nd Grade

TEKS: 2.11 Probability and statistics. The student organizes data to make it useful for interpreting information. The student is expected to:

(A) Construct picture graphs and bar-type graphs;

(B) Draw conclusions and answer questions based on picture graphs and bar-type graphs

Brief Summary: Young Danny has always been fascinated with ocean creatures. Against his parents’ wishes, Danny decides to ride his dory boat out into the middle of the bay to learn more about aquatic life. During his adventurous journey on a dory, he encounters a food web beginning with plankton and ending with a humpback whale. Just as his hair rising journey comes to an end, Danny fears that he may be a part of this food web. Fortunately, the reader discovers that this imaginary adventure was concocted by Danny while playing in the bath tub.

Materials needed:

·  “Dory Story” book by Jerry Pallotta

·  “Aquatic Life” graphing worksheet (attached)

·  “Reading Your Graph” worksheet (attached)

·  “Data for ‘Aquatic Life’ Graph” worksheet (attached)

·  “Picture” Key (attached)

·  Scissors

·  Glue

·  Writing Utensil

Suggested Activity

  1. Begin the lesson by reading the book “Dory Story” by Jerry Pallotta.
  2. Distribute “Data for Aquatic Life” and “Picture Key” worksheet to the students.
  3. Ask the students to cut out the aquatic life pictures and sort them into categories based on the type of aquatic animals. The students will use the “Picture Key” as a guide.
  4. Distribute “Aquatic Life” graphing worksheet to each student.
  5. The students will glue the animals under the appropriate columns. For example, the student will glue all of the ‘shrimp’ pictures under the column labeled ‘shrimp’.
  6. Distribute the “Reading Your Graph” worksheet.
  7. Finally, the students will answer several questions pertaining to the information on their graphs. The students will discuss answers with other classmates.

Adapted by: Meghan Satterwhite (2011)

Name:______

Aquatic Life Bar Graph

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

Plankton Shrimp Sand Eel Mackerel Blue Fish Tuna Killer Hump-

Whale Back

Whale


Name: ______

Reading Your Graph

Directions: Use your “Aquatic Life” bar graph to answer these questions. Discuss your answers with your neighbor.

After reading my graph, I can determine that I have the most ______.

After reading my graph, I can determine that I have the least ______.

After reading my graph, I can see that there are more ______than ______.

After reading my graph, I can see that there are less ______than ______.

Based on the information in my graph, the aquatic animal that I am least likely to see is ______.

Data for “Aquatic Life” Bar Graph

Picture Key

PLANKTON

SHRIMP

SAND EEL

MACKEREL

BLUE FISH

TUNA

KILLER WHALE

HUMPBACK WHALE