Minds On
Examining a graph
Explore the following image of a bar graph:
Answer the following questions. Throughout this learning activity, you can record your thoughts digitally, orally, or in print.
- What do you notice about how bar graphs display data?
- What questions do you have about bar graphs?
Using the tool of your choice, analyze the line graph by answering the following questions:
- What information does the line graph represent?
- You’ll notice that the data in the line graph appears to rise and fall. What do these ups and downs show?
- What story does this line graph tell?
- What information is missing from the graph?
Action
What parts do graphs need?
Compare the following graphs:
When you are finished exploring the graphs, answer the following questions using the tool of your choice:
- What does one graph have that the other does not?
- Which graph provides more information? Why? Explain your thinking.
The parts of a graph
Different graphs may have different parts, but most graphs will have these parts:
- Title: The title identifies what the graph is showing the viewer.
- Labels: Labels are used to identify what the x-axis and the y-axis are measuring.
- Scale: The scale is the numbers on an axis that increase by an equal amount. For example, if data on a graph goes up to 200, then the scale for that axis might go up by tens, instead of going up by ones.
- Source: The source identifies where the data came from.
Different types of graphs
Line plots
A line plot is a graph that shows a mark (usually an ‘X’) above a value on the number line for each entry in the data set.
Here is a line plot which represents the distances 17 turtles travelled in 1 hour, in metres.
Pictographs
A pictograph uses pictures or symbols to represent data.
The following pictograph represents the of number of pencils used per month in a classroom:
Bar graphs
A bar graph uses horizontal or vertical bars to represent data.
The following bar graph represents the decibel level of common sounds:
Multiple bar graphs
A multiple bar graph uses more than one bar per category to represent different sets of data collected about that category.
The following multiple bar graph represents the amount of different vegetables sold on four separate days:
Student Success
Think-Pair-Share
Comparing types of bar graphs
Examine the previous bar graph and multiple bar graph and note their differences. When would you use a multiple bar graph? If possible, discuss this with a partner.
Record your responses using the tool of your choice.
Note to teachers: See your teacher guide for collaboration tools, ideas and suggestions.
Making graphs
A group of students surveyed the Grade 1, Grade 4, and Grade 8 classes at their school to learn more about the recess activities they enjoy.
Using the tool of your choice, make a multiple-bar graph representing the data from the following table:
| Activity | Grade 1 | Grade 4 | Grade 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Four Square | 9 | 15 | 12 |
| Basketball | 2 | 20 | 18 |
| Soccer | 30 | 14 | 20 |
| Tag | 35 | 5 | 2 |
| Jump rope | 12 | 15 | 1 |
Press the ‘Activity’ button to access the Recess Activity Survey Table.
Consolidation
Review your learning
For each sentence, select the missing letter, word or phrase from the drop-down menu.
Choosing the most appropriate graph
Complete What Type of Graph Should I Use? in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document.
You are going to record the type of graph that you feel is the most appropriate to use in different scenarios.
| Scenario | Type of graph to use |
|---|---|
| 1) You ask three different groups of people about their favourite athlete. | |
| 2) You track the number of points that one team scored each period for a hockey game. | |
| 3) You research how many children were born in a city during each month of one year. | |
| 4) You survey fish owners about how much fish food they use. |
Press the ‘Activity’ button to access the What Type of Graph Should I Use?
Using the tool of your choice, reflect on the different types of graphs by answering the following questions:
- When would you use a multiple bar graph instead of a regular bar graph?
- What are the differences between line graphs and bar graphs?
- How do you determine which graph will best represent a set of data?
Reflection
As you read through these descriptions, which sentence best describes how you are feeling about your understanding of this learning activity? Press the button that is beside this sentence.
I feel…
Now, record your ideas using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.