Name Introduction to Tables and Graphs
Graphing Resource - Student Guide (Source NASA Solar System Math Comparing Size and Distance) There are three types of graphs that scientists use. Graphs help them study data they collect. Line Graphs Line graphs are used to track changes over time. You would use a line graph to study rainfall over a year. The lines in the graph indicate whether something rises or falls over time. 1 Page
Bar Graphs A bar graph is used to show comparisons between two groups. It's a fast way to show big differences. Pie Charts A pie chart is used to show responses. It successfully shows percentages. 2 Page
You need to answer some questions before you begin. 1. What type of graph will you use? 2. What unit of measurement will you use? 3. What scale will you use? 4. What will be the minimum and maximum values on your graph? 5. Will your graph start at 0? Every graph needs a title and labels. The title tells you what the graph s about. You label the horizontal x axis (side-to-side) and the vertical y axis (up and down). 3 Page
You need a unit of measurement. The unit for the bar graph above is number of books. It is written in the up and down y-axis label. You also must choose a scale for your up and down y-axis. The vertical on the bar graph above goes from 0 to 80 by 10 s. The scale is determined by the data you are graphing. To determine the scale, look at the largest and smallest numbers you will be graphing. A pie graph is shown using a circle, which has 360 degrees. To make an accurate pie graph you will need a compass to make your circle. You will also need a protractor to measure angles. Start by making a circle. Next, look at your data. 4 Page
How do you find out how many degrees for each slice of your pie? Here s how you would find out the degrees for students who like the color blue? You would multiply 360 degrees by 0.45..45 is the same as 45%. The result is 162 degrees (.45 * 360). Do this for all the other responses. How do you mark off the blue portion of the pie chart? Draw a line from the center of the circle to the edge of the circle. Then use the protractor to measure an angle of 162 degrees and draw the center of the circle. Do this for all the other colors. When you add the degrees, it should equal 360 degrees. When the slices of the pie have been drawn, need to color each slice. Label each slice with both the category and the percent or fraction, and give the graph a title. 5 Page
Canadian Travels Imagine you are taking a trip to Nova Scotia, Canada. Use this table of contents from a travel guide to choose the best answer to each question. 1. On which pages would you find information about things to see in Halifax? a. pages 15-20 c. pages 47-58 b. pages 21-24 d. pages 71-92 2. To find information about hotels, you should begin reading on what page? a. page 9 c. page 219 b. page 105 d. page 225 3. To find information about fishing and hiking, you should look under. a. Recreation c. Campgrounds b. Travel Tips d. Maps 6 Page
Mexican Meal Lily s 6 th grade class is having lunch at a Mexican restaurant. Use the menu to answer the questions. 1. Where is the Cactus Restaurant? 2. Which is the least expensive appetizer you can order? 3. What is served as the topping for a Quesadilla? 7 Page
4. What would you get if you ordered the Special Combination? Popular Parks Millions of people visited national parks in the year 2000. The bar graph below shows the numbers of visitors to six of the most popular parks. Use the graph to answer the questions. Questions 1. Which national park had the most visitors in 2000? 2. Which of these six parks had the fewest visitors in 2000? 3. About how many people visited the Great Smokey Mountain National Park in 2000? 8 Page
4. Which park had just about the same number of visitors as the Golden Gate? Olympic History The line graph below shows the number of countries that participated in the Summer Olympic Games from 1968 through 2000. Use the graph to answer the questions. 1. About how many countries participated in the 1972 Summer Olympics? 2. About how many countries participated in the 1996 Summer Olympics? 3. Which year did the fewest countries participate? 9 Page
4. Since 1984, has the number of countries participating in the Summer Olympics a. stayed the same. b. decreased. c. increased. d. decreased than increased. e. increased than decreased. Making Music Musical artists, from classical musicians to rock stars to rappers often record their music. The pie charts below compare the sales of these different formats between 1995 and 2000. Use the graphs to answer the questions. 1. In 1995, what percentage of recorded music was sold on cassettes? 2. Describe the changes in sales of compact discs between 1995 and 2000. 10 Page
3. Which type(s) of recorded music had a lower percentage of the sales in 2000 than in 1995? Number of Hours Slept in a Day Hey! Wake up! It s time to do some math. Check out the sleepy habits of some critters on our bar graph. Complete the graph with the information in the box and answer the questions. Remember no snoozing! The graph is not complete. Use the information in the table to complete the graph. Then, answer the following questions. 11 Page
1. About how many hours a day to the following animals sleep? a. Python b. Cat c. Chimpanzee 2. About how many more hours a day does a bat sleep than a 10- to 12-year old human? 3. Which animals spend more time asleep each day than awake? 4. Which animal spends about the same amount of time during the day asleep as it does awake? 12 Page
Math Movie Madness What s playing? Line graphs! Think moves are popular now? Take a look at how they lined up in the 1940s. But, the graph isn t finished. Where does attendance go from there? Complete the graph with the information in the box below to see how movie attendance changed between 1966 and 1996. The graph is not complete. Use the information in the table to complete the graph. Then, answer the following questions. 1. About how many people went to the movies in 1956? 2. In which years was attendance the least? 13 Page
3. The greatest drop in attendance occurred between which two years on the graph? Procedure Roll Them Bones 1. Roll one die 36 times. After each roll of the die, enter a slash mark next to the number you just rolled (in the second column of the chart). 2. After you ve done all 36 rolls, count the total number of slash marks for each number and put the results in the third column of the chart. 3. Enter the results in a bar graph. Put the numbers you could roll 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 on the horizontal axis. Put the number of times you rolled each number on the vertical axis. Label each axis and give your graph a title. Now enter you data by creating bars that extend from the number rolled on the horizontal axis up to the amount of times this number was rolled. Use the graph on the right as an example. 4. Next, roll a pair of dice 36 times. The numbers can be rolled are 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. 5. After each roll of the two dice, add up the numbers showing on the dice and make a slash mark in the second column of the chart next to the number your rolled. 6. Count the number of slash marks for each number and put the results in the third column of the chart next to the number you rolled. 7. Enter the results in a bar graph. Put the numbers you could roll 12, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 on the horizontal axis. Put the number of times you rolled each number on the vertical axis. Label each axis and give your graph a title. Now enter you data by creating bars that extend from the number rolled 14 Page
on the horizontal axis up to the amount of times this number was rolled. Use the graph on the left as an example. Table for One Die 15 Page
Table for Two Dice 16 Page
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Flipping Coins Materials Two coins Blue pencil Red pencil Green pencil Procedure 1. Toss a coin eight times. 2. On the table, write down how many times the coin lands on heads and how many times it lands on tails. 3. Shade one section blue for each time the coin lands on heads. Shade one section red for each time the coin lands on tails. The result is a pie chart. Number of Heads Single-Coin Toss Number of Tails 19 Page
Single-Coin Toss Blue = Heads Red = Tails How many of the tosses were red? How many of the tosses were blue? Estimate M&M s Graph 1. How many total M&M s will you have in your bag? How many red? How many green? How many blue? How many yellow? How many brown? How many green? 2. Of which color will you have the most? 20 P age
3. Of which color will you have the least? 4. Of which M&M color will the whole class have the most? 5. Of which color M&M will the whole class have the least? 6. What will be the total number of M&M s for the entire class? M&M s Tally Sheet Count the different M&M s in your bag. Record the total number of each color beside the appropriate number below using tally marks, and then record the total for each. Red Green Blue Yellow Brown Orange Total Total Total Total Total Total Total for all colors Actual Count 7. How many total M&M s are in your bag? How many red? How many green? How many blue? How many yellow? How many brown? How many green? 21 Page
8. Of which color do you have the most? How many? 9. Of which color do you have the least? How many? Class Count How many red? How many green? How many blue? How many yellow? How many brown? How many green? 10. What was the total number of M&M s for the entire class? 11. Of which M&M color did the whole class have the most? How many? 12. Of which color M&M did the whole class have the least? How many? 13. Was your prediction of the color for the greatest amount for the entire class correct? If not, how close was your prediction? Graph each M&M by coloring one box for every piece of candy you have. 22 P age
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