Plotting Data

Data, Charts, Graphs, and Plots

By Lauren Brown

Data is the "stuff" we are counting, measuring, and comparing. It can be objects, it can be facts, it can be the opinions of people from a survey. But it can be difficult to use until we organize it!

Data

Charts take the data, and put it into a form of organization that we can easily analyze. To analyze, means to compare and make decisions about based on facts and data! :)

​​Charts

​

Tally charts show two points of data: what is being measured, and how many of each item.

​

The totals are shown in lines called "tally marks"​

​

This is called a Tally Chart!​

​

Poll

Which item in the tally chart had the greatest number of items?

• Carrots

• Tomatoes

• Pea Pods

• Bananas

Bar graphs can show us "how many" when comparing different amounts of objects. ​

​

Bar Graphs

Let's look at all of the different parts of a graph. This bar graph is labeled for us!​

​

​Parts of a graph!

​

Poll

How many different colors were given as choices for favorite colors when this survey was given? Look at how many different colors of bars are on the graph :)

• Five

• Blue

• 16

• Colors

Line plots also have parts, just like bar graphs and tally charts. Line plots have a number line on the bottom, and pictures or symbols above the number line to show how many of each category represented on the number line. ​

​This is a line plot!!

​

Poll

What is the greatest possible number of trips taken in the survey shown in the bar graph?

• 0

• 4

• 7

• 8