Grade: Grade 2 Subject: Mathematics Unit: Graphs & Data Lesson: 4 of 6 SAT: ProblemSolving+DataAnalysis ACT: Math

Word Problems with Graphs

Learn

Word problems help us use graphs to solve real-life questions. Let us learn how to turn words into math!

Types of Graph Word Problems

  • Finding totals: "How many in all?"
  • Comparing: "How many more?" or "How many fewer?"
  • Finding differences: "What is the difference between?"
  • Finding parts: "How many of each type?"

Problem-Solving Steps

  1. Read carefully - What is the problem asking?
  2. Find the data - Look at the graph for numbers you need.
  3. Choose an operation - Add, subtract, or compare?
  4. Solve and check - Does your answer make sense?

Key Words to Watch For

WordWhat to Do
in all, total, altogetherADD
more than, fewer than, differenceSUBTRACT
eachLook at individual amounts
most, least, greatest, fewestCOMPARE

Examples

Example 1: Total Problem

The second grade classes collected cans for recycling. Class A collected 12 cans. Class B collected 8 cans. Class C collected 15 cans. How many cans did they collect altogether?

Step 1: The key word is "altogether" - we need to ADD.

Step 2: Find the numbers: 12, 8, and 15

Step 3: Add: 12 + 8 + 15 = 35

Answer: They collected 35 cans altogether.

Example 2: Comparison Problem

A bar graph shows that 14 students like pizza and 9 students like tacos. How many more students like pizza than tacos?

Step 1: The key words are "how many more" - we need to SUBTRACT.

Step 2: Find the numbers: pizza = 14, tacos = 9

Step 3: Subtract: 14 - 9 = 5

Answer: 5 more students like pizza than tacos.

Example 3: Picture Graph Problem

A picture graph shows books read. Each book picture equals 2 real books. Emma has 6 pictures. Noah has 4 pictures. How many more books did Emma read than Noah?

Step 1: First, find the real numbers.

Step 2: Emma: 6 x 2 = 12 books. Noah: 4 x 2 = 8 books.

Step 3: Subtract: 12 - 8 = 4

Answer: Emma read 4 more books than Noah.

Practice

Solve these word problems. Show your work!

Problem 1

The zoo counted animals. They have 18 monkeys, 12 zebras, 7 elephants, and 9 lions. How many animals are there in all?

Problem 2

A bar graph shows rainy days each month. March had 11 rainy days. April had 15 rainy days. How many more rainy days were in April than March?

Problem 3

Students voted for field trip destinations. The museum got 16 votes. The aquarium got 22 votes. The park got 14 votes. Which destination got the most votes? How many votes did it get?

Problem 4

A picture graph shows cookies baked. Each cookie picture = 3 real cookies. Monday shows 5 pictures. Tuesday shows 4 pictures. How many cookies were baked on both days together?

Problem 5

The library bar graph shows: Fiction books = 45, Non-fiction books = 32, Picture books = 28. How many fewer picture books are there than fiction books?

Problem 6

A picture graph shows miles walked. Each footprint = 2 miles. Day 1: 3 footprints. Day 2: 5 footprints. Day 3: 4 footprints. How many miles were walked in 3 days?

Problem 7

The cafeteria served lunches. Monday: 85 lunches. Tuesday: 92 lunches. Wednesday: 78 lunches. On which day did they serve the fewest lunches? How many?

Problem 8

A bar graph shows points scored in games. Game 1: 24 points. Game 2: 31 points. Game 3: 28 points. What is the difference between the highest and lowest scores?

Problem 9

Students collected leaves. Oak leaves: 36. Maple leaves: 42. Elm leaves: 29. How many more maple leaves than elm leaves were collected?

Problem 10

A picture graph shows stars earned. Each star picture = 5 real stars. Week 1: 6 pictures. Week 2: 8 pictures. Week 3: 4 pictures. How many stars were earned altogether?

Problem 11

The school has 3 second grade classes. Class A has 23 students. Class B has 21 students. Class C has 25 students. How many second graders are there in total?

Problem 12

A bar graph shows toy cars collected. Red cars: 17. Blue cars: 23. Green cars: 15. Yellow cars: 19. Which color has the most cars? Which has the fewest? What is the difference between them?

Check Your Understanding

  1. What key words tell you to add?
  2. What key words tell you to subtract?
  3. When using a picture graph where each picture = 2, how do you find the real total?
  4. What should you always do after solving a problem?

Next Steps

  • Practice finding key words in word problems
  • Create your own word problems for a partner to solve
  • Move on to Common Mistakes to avoid errors