Reading bar charts
Interpreting Data
Bridging the gap
to
Teacher Notes
This resource provides …
- A detailed look at how to read (interpret) bars and charts
… using an easy to remember approach called the Traffic Lights Method
- An ideal follow-on from to ‘Introduction to Data Handling’
… in the School Booster resource at www/bgfl.org/mathsbooster
- User-friendly
… With clear, stepwise examples and answers.
- User-controlled … You can control how fast or slow you go using the mouse keys.
Teacher Notes
How to use this resource
You can control how fast or slow you go, using:
FORWARD:
OR
OR
Enter
BACK:
OR
OR
Back Space
TO START SLIDESHOW:
F5
OR
TO END SLIDESHOW:
Escape
OR
Left-hand mouse
Slide Show > View Show
Reading bar charts
Interpreting Data
If you want to get the BIG PICTURE first about Data
Handling …
… why not try the introductory slide show:
“Introduction to Data Handling” !
at
www.bgfl.org/mathsbooster
(School Booster)
Reading bar charts
Recap: 3 Steps in Data Handling
3. Interpret the data
Explain it! … Say what it means!
Draw some conclusions!
1. Collect the data
6K’s bedtimes:
8:30pm,Number
8:00 pm,
Height
7:45
pm, 9:30
less than 150cm
high
9 pm,
7:00high
pm, 10:00
less than 150cm
20 pm,
7:20high
pm, 8:15pm,
more than 200cm
1
7:29 pm,
11:45
30 pm,
8:50 pm, 8:15 pm,
9:00 pm, 7:18 pm,
9:25 pm, 10:30 pm,
8:18 pm
Get the information you need
Reading bar charts
Recap: 3 Steps in Data Handling
Step 1. Collect the data
6K’s bedtimes:
8:30pm,
8:00 pm,
Height
Number
7:45
pm,
less than 150cm high 9:30 9pm,
7:00 high
pm, 10:00
less than 150cm
20pm,
7:20
pm,
8:15pm,
more than 200cm high
1
7:29 pm,
11:45
30
pm, 8:50 pm, 8:15
pm, 9:00 pm, 7:18
pm, 9:25 pm, 10:30
pm, 8:18 pm
Step 2. Organise & display the data
Step 3. Interpret the data
Reading bar charts
Year 6 Profiles
You can tell a lot about a class from their habits!
Year 6 has revealed all in a massive survey.
You can see the results in these graphs and charts – but
what do they mean?
Use the easy Traffic Lights Method to read your graphs
Reading bar charts
Using the Traffic Lights Method
RED: STOP AND LOOK! … AT THE
Title
Axes
Numbers and scale
AMBER: GET READY TO READ!
Turn each bar into English so that the
graph makes sense before you start …
Always
Make
Bars
Easy
GREEN: GO AND READ THE GRAPH!
Reading
SAY WHAT YOU SEE The tallest bar?
Shortest bar?
Differences between the bars?
Reading bar charts
RED: STOP AND LOOK AT: Title
10
Axes Numbers and scale
6K’s Bedtimes
9
Where is the title?
8
7
Number 6
of
5
pupils
4
What does the
title say the
graph is about?
3
2
1
0
7pm
. to
8pm
8pm
9pm
10pm
11pm
to
to
to
to
9pm
10pm
Bedtime
11pm
Midnight
Reading bar charts
RED: STOP AND LOOK AT: Title
10
Axes Numbers and scale
Where is the x-axis?
6K’s Bedtimes
9
8
7
Number 6
of
5
pupils
What does the x-axis
show?
4
3
2
1
Answer
Question
0
In this
survey,
ItWhat
doesn’t
– as
if amatter
pupil says
7pm
.
to
8pm
8pm
to
9pm
9pm
to
10pm
Bedtime
10pm
to
11pm
11pm
to
Midnight
borderline
long
as you
decide
that
they
go results
to
8pm?
were
put inrule
the for
higher
the same
all
Should
their data
go
bar.
into theresults!
1st or 2nd bar?
Reading bar charts
RED: STOP AND LOOK AT: Title
10
Axes Numbers and scale
Where is the y-axis?
6K’s Bedtimes
9
8
7
Number 6
of
5
pupils
What does the y-axis
show?
4
3
2
1
0
7pm
. to
8pm
8pm
9pm
10pm
11pm
to
to
to
to
9pm
10pm
Bedtime
11pm
Midnight
Reading bar charts
RED: STOP AND LOOK AT: Title
10
Axes Numbers and scale
What x numbers do we have?
5 bedtime slots
from 7pm to Midnight.
6K’s Bedtimes
9
8
7
Number 6
of
5
pupils
What scale?
1 hour bedtime slots.
4
3
What y numbers do we have?
2
1 -10: easy numbers!
1
0
7pm
. to
8pm
8pm
9pm
10pm
11pm
to
to
to
to
9pm
10pm
Bedtime
11pm
Midnight
What scale?
The y-axis goes up in 1’s
- so it’s very easy to read!
Reading bar charts
AMBER: GET READY TO READ! Always Make Bars Easy Reading
10
9
10 pupils
8
9 pupils
go to
7
go to
bed
8 pupils
bed
between
go to
Number 6
of
5
between 8pm and
pupils
4
7pm and
3
8pm.
9pm.
Translate
each bar
into a
sentence!
6K’s Bedtimes
bed
between
9pm and
10pm.
2
1
2 pupils
10-11pm. 1 pupil after
11
0
7pm
. to
8pm
8pm
9pm
10pm
11pm
to
to
to
to
9pm
10pm
11pm
Bedtime
Midnight
Click here
for
Translator:
Maths to English
Reading bar charts
GREEN: GO AND READ! – the tallest and shortest
10
9
10 pupils
8
go to
7
bed
Number 6
between
of
5
8pm and
pupils
4
9pm.
Mode
The tallest bar
TALLEST BAR Most popular
6K’s Bedtimes
kind of
means (1…?
8pm - 9pm is the
most popular bedtime.
SHORTEST BAR
3
2
1 pupil after
11
1
0
7pm
. to
8pm
8pm
9pm
10pm
11pm
to
to
to
to
9pm
average)
10pm
11pm
Bedtime
Midnight
The
11pmshortest
- Midnightbar
is
means …?
the least popular
bedtime.
Reading bar charts
GREEN: GO AND READ! 6 ways to say what you see – about the mode
10
9
10 pupils
8
go to
7
bed
NumberOR
6
of
pupils
… The modalbetween
bedtime is 8pm to 9pm.
8pm and
5
4 … The most 9pm.
OR
popular bedtime is 8pm to 9pm.
3
2 OR
… Most Y6K pupils go to bed between 8pm to 9pm.
1
0
OR … The most common bedtime is 8pm to 9pm.
7pm
. to
8pm
9pm
10pm
11pm
to
to
to
to
8pm
10pm
11pm
OR
… The9pm
most frequent
bedtimeMidnight
is 8pm to 9pm.
Bedtime
OR … The bedtime with the highest frequency is 8pm to 9pm.
Reading bar charts
GREEN: GO AND READ! – compare the bars
10
6 more pupils go to bed
6K’s Bedtimes
9
9pm - 10pm
8
7
Number 6
of
5
pupils
4
3
2
1
0
7pm
. to
8pm
8pm
9pm
10pm
11pm
to
to
to
to
9pm
10pm
11pm
Bedtime
Midnight
than those who go at
9 fewer pupils go to
10pm - 11pm.
bed at 11pm – Midnight
8 = 2 +6
than those who go
5 times as many pupils
between 8pm - 9pm .
go to bed 8pm - 9pm as
10 – 9 = 1
those who retire 10pm Half as many pupils go
11pm.
to bed 11pm - Midnight
10 = 5 x 2
as those who go
Can you find some other things to say about this graph?
between 10pm – 11pm.
‘more than’ +
You might want to use:
1/2 ÷of 2
‘fewer than’ ‘times’ x 1 = ‘of’
Reading bar charts
GREEN: GO AND READ! – the total of the bars
10
9
8
10 pupils
TOTAL OF ALL BARS
The
total of all bars
…?
= Totalmeans
number of
pupils
6K’s Bedtimes
9 pupils
8 pupils
7
…
Number 6
of
5
pupils
4
9
3
2
10
2 pupils
1
1 pupil
8
2
0
7pm
. to
8pm
8pm
9pm
10pm
11pm
to
to
to
to
9pm
10pm
11pm
Bedtime
Midnight
+
1 .
Total = 30? pupils
Reading bar charts
GREEN: GO AND READ! – compare 2 bars as fractions
10
9
8
7
Number 6
of
5
pupils
4
3
2
10 pupils
Translate each
bar into a
fraction
sentence!
6K’s Bedtimes
9
Out of 30
Pupils
8
out of 30
Pupils
=
out of 30
=
10
=
9
30
30
8
30
2 pupils
=2
30
1
0
7pm
. to
8pm
1
30
8pm
9pm
10pm
11pm
to
to
to
to
9pm
10pm
11pm
Bedtime
Midnight
Click here
for Fractions
Translator:
Number to Fractions
Reading bar charts
GREEN: GO AND READ! - the graph shape
6K’s Bedtimes
6L’s Bedtimes
Can you tell
More
pupils
anything
go
to this
bed
from
earlier
rather
graph
than
later!
shape?
Roughly the
same
What
about
number
the
shapeofof
pupils
go to
this graph?
bed earlier
and later
6M’s Bedtimes
More pupils
… and this
go to bed
one?
later rather
than earlier!
Reading bar charts
What next?
Now you’ve tried out the Traffic Lights Method!
If you have any questions, you can ask your teacher.
Or, if you want to have a go at some for yourself…
… why not try the Pupils’ version:
“Reading bar charts” !
at
www.bgfl.org/mathsbooster
(School Booster)