Construct line graphs representing two variables in familiar contexts | Maths

Starter quiz

True or false: Andeep spends more time travelling than resting according to the data in the graph.
- True
- False ✓
Jacob is counting backwards in steps of 5, from 10: 10, 5, 0, ___ What will he say next?
- He will stop counting
- 0
- ${1} \over {5}$
- 5
- − 5 ✓
Jun measured the sunflower and it was 30 cm tall. When did he measure it?
- April
- May
- June ✓
- July
During which month did the sunflower not grow at all?
- 'October' ✓
How much did the sunflower grow during June? ______ cm
- '15' ✓
During which month did the sunflower grow most quickly?
- 'July' ✓

Exit quiz

Which of the following would not be recorded on a line graph?
- The number of children visiting a library each month over the course of a year. ✓
- The mass in grams of a guinea pig measured over the course of three months.
- The distance a jogger travels over the course of two hours.
The line graph shows how the temperature changes between the hours of 8 am and 7 pm. What was the hottest time of the day?
- '2 pm' ✓
This line graph shows how Izzy’s height has changed as she has grown. Use the line graph to estimate her height when she was 6 years old. ______ cm
- '115' ✓
This line graph shows the distance of each child from school. At 8:40 am, which child was the closest to school?
- Izzy ✓
- Jacob
- Sofia
Use the line graph to find out how much closer Jacob was to the school than Sofia at 8:40am. ______ m
- '200' ✓
How many metres did Izzy travel altogether on her journey? ______ m
- '1,100' ✓

Worksheet

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Presentation

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Lesson Details

Key learning points

A line graph is a way of representing the relationship between two variables.
One variable is represented by the x-axis and the other, by the y-axis.
Points are plotted like coordinates with a value on the x-axis and a value on the y-axis.

Common misconception

Pupils may not understand that line graphs are only used for continuous data, where the points between those that are plotted have meaning.

Show children examples of graphs where there is no meaning between divisions on the x-axis (e.g. heights of children). Here, the points cannot be joined to make a line graph.

Keywords

Line graph - A line graph is a graph where the points are connected by lines. It shows how something changes in value, usually over time.
Variable - A variable is something that changes and can also be measured.
X-axis - The x-axis is the horizontal line on a graph which goes through zero.
Y-axis - The y-axis is the vertical line on a graph which goes through zero.