There are all kinds of charts and graphs, some are easy to understand while others can be pretty tricky. There are many different types because each one has a fairly specific use. Bar graphs can be used to show how something changes over time or to compare items. They have an x-axis (horizontal) and a y-axis (vertical). Typically, the x-axis has numbers for the time period or what is being measured, and the y-axis has numbers for the amount of stuff being measured. Bar graphs are good when you're plotting data that spans many years (or days, weeks...), has really big changes from year to year (or day to day...), or when you are comparing things.
An example using real education data would be if you wanted to show the most popular bachelor's degrees (business, education, etc.) that students received in college in a given year. If you want to see what this would look like click on the link 'Click here to fill in example using education data from NCES,' that you will find on the next page.
You are now ready to create your own bar graph...
Printable Bar Graphs
A bar graph (also known as a bar chart or bar diagram) is a visual tool that uses bars to compare data among categories. A bar graph may run horizontally or vertically. The important thing to know is that the longer the bar, the greater its value. Bar graphs consist of two axes. I can't believe I'm passing information on to you about the end of the school year! It's been wonderful getting to know your families this year. We have a lot going on the next month and a half, so please be sure to mark your calendars with the important dates listed below. As always, let me know if you have questions!