Birthdays of the month, tally marks n' Excel graphs- 2nd-4th Grade

As a mini-checkpoint assessment for Excel, the Second-Fourth Graders collected data using tally marks, converted the tally marks to numbers, layed out the data on an Excel spreadsheet and created a bar graph.  The data that we collected was a count of birthdays for each month of our classmates and family members.  I kept track of the count using tally marks on the white board as the students dug deep into their minds to remember when their classmates' and family members' birthdays were.  Once all of the data was collected, the students took turns converting the tally marks to numbers.  Then, with very little help from me, they were instructed create the spreadsheet and graph.  There were a handful of students who remembered all of the steps, and they proudly reminded the others who had forgotten.  It was a triumph for those who remembered and a good review for those who forgot!