Guided Practice with Graphs
Learn
Now that you know about bar graphs and picture graphs, it is time to practice! In this lesson, you will work through problems step by step.
How to Read a Graph
- Read the title - What is the graph about?
- Look at the labels - What do the bottom and side tell you?
- Find the data - Count the bars or pictures carefully.
- Answer the question - Use what you found!
How to Make a Graph
- Collect data - Count or gather your information.
- Choose a graph type - Bar graph or picture graph?
- Draw and label - Add a title and labels.
- Fill in the data - Draw bars or pictures to show your numbers.
Examples
Example 1: Reading a Bar Graph
Ms. Johnson asked her class about their favorite fruits. Here is the data:
| Fruit | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| Apples | 7 |
| Bananas | 5 |
| Oranges | 4 |
| Grapes | 6 |
Question: How many more students like apples than oranges?
Step 1: Find apples: 7 students
Step 2: Find oranges: 4 students
Step 3: Subtract: 7 - 4 = 3
Answer: 3 more students like apples than oranges.
Example 2: Reading a Picture Graph
Each star stands for 2 books read.
| Student | Stars |
|---|---|
| Sam | *** (3 stars) |
| Mia | **** (4 stars) |
| Jake | ** (2 stars) |
Question: How many books did Mia read?
Step 1: Count Mia's stars: 4 stars
Step 2: Each star = 2 books
Step 3: Multiply: 4 x 2 = 8
Answer: Mia read 8 books.
Practice
Work through these problems. Show your steps!
Problem 1
A bar graph shows pets in the neighborhood:
- Dogs: 8
- Cats: 6
- Fish: 3
- Birds: 4
How many pets are there in all?
Problem 2
Using the pet data above, how many more dogs are there than fish?
Problem 3
A picture graph shows flowers in a garden. Each flower picture = 3 real flowers.
- Roses: 5 pictures
- Tulips: 4 pictures
- Daisies: 6 pictures
How many real roses are in the garden?
Problem 4
Using the flower data above, how many real tulips are there?
Problem 5
Using the flower data, how many more daisies than tulips are there?
Problem 6
Students voted for their favorite color:
- Blue: 9 votes
- Red: 7 votes
- Green: 5 votes
- Yellow: 3 votes
Which color got the most votes? Which got the fewest?
Problem 7
Using the color data, how many students voted in all?
Problem 8
A picture graph shows stickers collected. Each sticker picture = 2 real stickers.
- Monday: 4 pictures
- Tuesday: 3 pictures
- Wednesday: 5 pictures
How many stickers were collected on all three days together?
Problem 9
Make your own bar graph! Survey 4 friends about their favorite season (spring, summer, fall, winter). Record your data and describe what your graph would look like.
Problem 10
If you made a picture graph where each picture = 5 items, and you have 20 items, how many pictures would you draw?
Check Your Understanding
- What are the four steps to reading a graph?
- When a picture graph says each picture = 2, what do you do to find the real total?
- How do you find how many MORE one thing has than another?
Next Steps
- Practice reading graphs in books and magazines
- Try making your own graphs at home
- Move on to Word Problems with Graphs when ready