Pictorial and Graphical Representation of Data
The common ways to show data: pictograms, bar charts, pie charts, line graphs and scatter charts, and how to pick the most suitable chart for a set of data.
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Showing data 📊
Numbers on their own can be hard to understand, so statisticians turn them into pictures and graphs. Each kind of chart suits a different kind of data. This module looks at the common charts, what each one shows, and how to choose the most suitable one.
Words for charts 🔑
Learn these four chart types before you study how to choose one.
Bar chart or pie chart? 🆚
Two of the most common charts show data in different ways.
Grade 9 thinking 💡
A top answer chooses the most suitable chart and says why. Use a pie chart for proportions of a whole, a bar chart to compare categories, a line graph for change over time, and a scatter chart for the link between two things. Remember a pictogram always needs a key.
Match the chart 🔗
- pictogram
- bar chart
- pie chart
- line graph
- uses symbols, where each symbol stands for a number
- bars with gaps, comparing separate categories
- slices of a circle, showing parts of a whole
- points joined by lines, showing change over time
Match the data to its chart 🧩
- how sales change over each month
- the proportion of a class who like each sport
- the number of pets of each type
- the link between height and shoe size
- a line graph
- a pie chart
- a bar chart
- a scatter chart
What does a pie chart show? ❓
What does a pie chart show best?
- How a whole is split into parts, or proportions.
- How data changes over time.
- The relationship between two variables.
Features of a pictogram ✅
Select the TWO things a pictogram must have.
- A symbol that stands for a number.
- A key that explains the symbol.
- Slices of a circle.
- A line of best fit.
Order the steps 🪜
An interactive activity.
Summarise the charts 📝
A _____ uses symbols with a key, where each symbol stands for a number. A _____ chart uses bars with gaps to compare separate categories. A _____ chart shows the parts of a whole as slices of a circle. A _____ graph shows how data changes over time. A _____ chart shows the relationship between two variables.
Read the pictogram 🔢
An interactive activity.
Find the category charts 🖍️
An interactive activity.
Which chart is best? 🧭
An interactive activity.
Choose a chart ✍️
An interactive activity.