Intro to Data: Pictographs & Bar Graphs

Data is a collection of information we get from taking measurements.

Students may identify color, size, type, use, etc.

Answers depend on quantities presented to students. An example: There are 5 red counters and 8 blue counters.

I could draw a picture of 5 red and 8 blue counters. I could use the numbers 5 and 8. A friend and I could show the two numbers on our hands.

Answers will vary.

A pictograph is a drawing or type of graph where the number of pictures in each row represents the count of items in a category.

A bar graph is a drawing or type of graph where the height of each bar represents the count of items in a category.

I can represent categorical attributes like color, or belonging to a particular group, using a pictograph or bar graph.

Graphs are helpful because they allow us to visualize data in a more concrete way. They also allow us to compare groups more easily, and more concretely, than if we just had numbers.

Titles are important because they let the person reading the graph know what it represents. If a graph is not labeled and does not have a title, it is a drawing without any context and so gives us no useful information.