Information can be organized in many different ways to make it easy for us to read and understand. The following activities will help you learn about different ways of organizing data and information.

Directions: On loose-leaf paper, write the name of each type of graph that you will be analyzing. Answer each question. Turn in when finished.

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LINE GRAPHS
Take the tutorial on line graphs. (You must click on "Graph Challenge," then go to "Line Graph Tutorial.")
Study these line graphs to answer the following questions.

1) How many customers switched from AT & T to MCI in 1993?

2) What was the minimum wage in 1958?


3) Was the minimum wage higher in 1940 or in 1950?


4) How many customers switched from MCI to AT & T in 1994?


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BAR GRAPHS
Bar Graphs are another way to organize data.
Look at the Bar Graph of Favorite Colors. Use it to answer the following questions.

1) How many people were surveyed?

2) How many people chose blue as their favorite color?


3) How many more people chose red as their favorite color than blue?




Use the online Bar Graph Creator to make your own bar graph. You must follow the link at the Graph Challenge site.
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PICTOGRAPHS
Pictographs use pictures to display information.
Use the Cookie Pictograph to answer the following questions.

1) How many students does one cookie represent?

2) How many students does one half of a cookie represent?


3) How many students in all were surveyed for this graph?


4) Which division of students did not like chocolate chip cookies?


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PIE GRAPHS (or CIRCLE GRAPHS)
Read the definition of a pie graph on the Math League site.
Study the circle graph that shows how students spend their weekends. Use it to answer the following questions.

1) What does the denominator of 24 represent?

2) What activity took up most of the day?


3) On what activity did the students only spend one hour?


4) What two activities add up to five hours?


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Use the computer to make an example of each type of graph. You will need a software program, such as Excel. Directions for converting tables to charts and graphs in Excel are given here.
Use some of the data from one of the following sources.

Just how much candy does one person eat in a year?
What type of candy did people eat the most in 1998?
Think of a baseball statistic you would like to show in a graph.

You may choose your own data if you wish.




Take the Graph Challenges on the Alphabet Super Highway to practice what you have learned about graphs.
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