What information can you get from
this Graph?
Absolutely nothing is the answer. Just having a title would be an
improvement.
So how about this one?
Numbers of Students in Grades 5 to 10
At least we know what the chart is meant to be about, but what do the
individual slices mean?
What we need are clear labels to help us. Let’s try again:
Number of Students in Grades 5 to 10
Number of students
3,500
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0
Year 5
Year 6
Year 7
Year 8
Year 9
Year 10
Year
This looks much better but there is still something missing.
Can you spot it?
That’s right – we need to know where the data came from and who it applies
to.
Let’s have a final go:
Number of Students in Grades 5 to 10
Number of students
3,500
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0
Year 5
Year 6
Year 7
Year 8
Year 9
Year 10
Year
Source: Office of the Queensland Government Statistician
"2001 Census at School"-Queensland students
TITLE
LABELS
KEY
Now draw a useful bar chart of the language spoken at home by students in
your class. Use the categories that are in your Census. You may wish to try
to separate boys and girls on the same graph. If you do, ask your teacher
for help with creating a key.
Suggested activity:
Construct your own bar-graphs from the data collected at Census@schools.