Caitlin gives the pair a bag of objects to sort. Caitlin's students sort the objects, tally the objects, and create a bar graph. Caitlin states explicit and clear directions to her class to ensure each student understands the expectations of this task.
You are going to work in groups to tally objects and make a bar graph. I hand each group a bag of objects that can be easily sorted (cubes, shapes, beans, etc.) In your groups you are going to (1) sort your objects, (2) make a tally chart, and (3) make a bar graph. Depending on student readiness, I could do a "fishbowl" model here where the teacher and the students model the process so that students have a clear picture of what it means to be successful at this project.