How to Create Pictographs for 3rd Grade

A pictograph is a type of graph that uses pictures to illustrate data. Included with the pictograph is a key that explains what each picture represents.



Begin teaching third graders about pictographs by using Lindsay's retail store as an example. Lindsay sells shirts, pants, shoes and socks at her retail store. She wants the pictograph to illustrate how much inventory she has of each item.

Things You'll Need

• paper
• pencil

Instructions

1. Sketch a grid with two columns and four rows.

2. Write "shirts" in the first row in the left column.

3. Write "pants" in the second row in the left column.

4. Write "shoes" in the third row in the left column.

5. Write "socks" in the fourth row in the left column.

6. Write "Lindsay's Inventory" above the grid.

7. Come up with a symbol that represents a certain number of inventory. For this pictograph, use an "X" to represent five pieces of inventory.

8. Write "Key: X equals five pieces of inventory," underneath the graph.

9. Have the students complete the pictograph by counting the number of items in each clothing group at Lindsay's Retail Store. If there are 15 shirts then write three "X" symbols in the right-hand column of the first row that says "shirts." Repeat this for each item in the inventory.

References

• Stuffed-animal-pictograph
• Pictograph Worksheets
• Elementary Test Prep: Math 4 Test