How to Use Second Grade Level Bar Graphs

A bar graph consists of a series of parallel rectangles.

Sometimes called a bar chart, a bar graph is a type of data graph consisting of two or more narrow parallel rectangles. At the second grade level, bar graphs are typically used to compare quantities. Bars may be oriented either horizontally or vertically, but the vertical orientation is far more common, particularly in elementary school. Hence, this article describes how to interpret the vertical variety.

Things You'll Need

• Bar graph

Instructions

1. Read the title of the graph to understand what sort of information the graph is displaying. For example, the title may be "Students' Favorite Colors."

2. Read the vertically-oriented label running along the left-hand edge of the graph. This phrase describes the quantity of whatever is being measured. For instance, in a graph showing students' favorite colors, this label would read "Number of Students."

3. Notice the numbers written next to this phrase alongside the left-hand edge of the graph. This is called the scale of the graph. The smallest number is written at the bottom of the page, with numbers increasing in a set increment until the largest number is found at the top of the page. In second grade, numbers will usually increase in increments of one, though increments of five or 10 may be encountered on some graphs.

4. Read the label that runs along the bottom edge of the graph. This label describes the data types. In the graph of student color preferences, this label would read "Colors."

5. Read the labels written on the bottom of the graph underneath each rectangle, or bar. These labels represent the type of data that each bar measures. In the graph of students' favorite colors, these labels would read "blue," "green," "yellow," "red" and so on.

6. Place your finger on the top edge of any bar. Run your finger in a straight line leftward across the page until you've reached a number on the graph's scale. This number is the amount of the data type represented by the bar you chose to analyze. For instance, you may have discovered that four students have blue as their favorite color. Repeat this process for each bar.

7. Interpret the overall meaning of the bar graph. The greater the height of a bar, the greater the value of the data type that bar represents. In the graph of student color preferences, suppose the green bar is the tallest, showing that nine students like green best. This means that green is the most popular favorite color amongst the students surveyed. Conversely, say the yellow bar is the shortest, only reaching up to two on the graph's scale. This means that yellow is the least popular color amongst the students surveyed.

Tips & Warnings

• Bars can be arranged in any order.

• In Step 6, you may simply visually scan the page rather than use your finger.

References

• The Free Dictionary: Bar Graph
• Syracuse University: Review of Bar Graphs
• Concordia: Bar Graph