Dot Plots and Line Plots

Line Plots

What is a line plot?

• A line plot is a type of graph.

• Line plots show data with dots or Xs along a number line. Line plots can also be called dot plots.

• For example, this line plot shows the number of children in each family on Josh's street.

Reading a line plot

• Each dot shows one family.

• The numbers on the number line show the number of children.

• So, you can tell how many children are in the families on Josh's street:

Multiple Choice

How many families have 2 children?

• 0

• 3

• 2

• 4

Reading a line plot

• There are two families with  0 children

• There are two families with 1 child

• There are three families with  2 children

• There is one family with 4 children

Making Line Plots

• You can make a line plot from a data set. Your data set might be in a list, a table, or a tally chart.

• Let's try it! Make a line plot using the data in the table on the right on your white boards.

• Alexa recorded the number of times each person in her family won a game during family game night.

• Follow the steps on the next slide

Make a line plot

• Step 1: make a number line.

• The number of wins ranges from 0 wins to 3 wins. So, draw a number line from 0 to 3

Make a line plot

• Step 2: draw dots or Xs to show the data from the table.

• One person had 0 wins, so draw one data point above 0.

• Three people had 1 win, so draw three data points above 1.

• Nobody had 2 wins, so you don't need to draw any data points above 2.

• One person had 3 wins, so draw one data point above 3.

Creating Fraction Line Plots

• You can make a line plot to show a data set with fractions, too.

• Let's try it! On your whiteboard make a line plot using the data in the tally chart below.

• There are bottles on the counter in the science lab. Edward writes down the cups of liquid in each bottle.

  
  

  
  

  
  

Creating a Fraction Line Plot

• 1st Step: Make a number line.

• The amount of liquid ranges from 0 cups to 1 cup.

• The fractions in the data set count by fourths.

• So, draw a number line from 0 to 1 that counts by fourths.

Creating Fraction Line Plots

Multiple Choice

How many people had 3 pets?

• 5

• 7

• 4

• 3

Multiple Choice

How many students had more than 6 candy bars?

• 5

• 2

• 3

• 1

Multiple Choice

How many students received a score of 94%?

• 94

• 4

• 1

• 2

Multiple Choice

How many students have 0 Brothers and Sisters?

• 6 students

• 0 students

• 12 students

• 10 students