Bar Graph
Pie(circle) Graph
Pictograph

Before we can make a graph we must first have data to place in the graph. There are a variety of ways to collect data but we will focus on two:

In a survey, you ask different people the same question or set of questions. The answers they give are data that you can organize to see what answers occur more often. For example, you might ask the question, "What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? The choices are: a)vanilla b)chocolate c)strawberry d)sherbert". After asking a number of people, you then count how many answered in each category. The mathematical name for collecting, organizing and studying data is called statistics. When we collect data we need a way to keep track of the information as you collect it. One way is to make tally marks as you count.
 
 
Example of how tally marks look

 

EXAMPLE: Your teacher wants to know what kind of class pet students want. The tally chart would list the names of pets and 1 line is made for each vote with the fifth mark across the top of four marks.
 
 
Animal Names
Student Votes
name 1
tally marks on this side 
name 2
  
name 3
  
name 4

 
 
 

We can also do some research to collect data. When doing research you choose a subject and a specific question you want answered about this topic. For example, you want to know how often people get struck by lightening in the United States. Now, that's an interesting topic to study. You can read books about the subject or use the internet to search like you are doing today. After studying a variety of sources(remember you need to look in more than one place) you then need to organize the information you have collected. Maybe you want to show how often people are struck by lightening in specific parts of the United States, or compare the time of year it happens. There are many ways to present your information.

BAR GRAPH

A bar graph uses bars to represent data. There are two types of bar graphs, vertical and horizontal.
In a vertical bar graph, the rectangle shaped bar goes up. In a horizontal bar graph, the rectangle shaped bars go across from left to right.

Reading a Vertical Bar Graph

Reading a Horizontal Bar Graph
The title is on top
Each bar stands for something
Run your fingers to the far right of a  bar.
Read the number below the end to the bar to see how many.
The numbers on the bottom show the amounts of the items.

This example will explain how to take information from a table to make a bar graph

 Our Favorite Meal
Meal               Votes
Breakfast              6
Snack                    4
Lunch                    10
Dinner                  2
 

PICTOGRAPH

A pictograph shows data by using pictures that stand for more that one thing. There is always a key at the bottom telling how many each picture stands for.