Reading Line Graphs
Match Graph Features (A)
Draw a line from each graph feature to its meaning.
Match Graph Features (B)
Match each feature.
Line Graph Basics (A)
Circle the correct answer.
A line graph is best for showing...
The horizontal axis usually shows...
If the line goes up, values are...
If the line is flat, values are...
Line Graph Basics (B)
Circle the correct answer.
A steep line means...
Line graphs connect data points with...
The vertical axis shows...
Sort: Line Graph or Bar Graph?
Which type of graph is better for each?
Read Values from a Line Graph
A line graph shows daily steps: Mon 5000, Tue 6500, Wed 4000, Thu 7000, Fri 5500.
Which day had the most steps? ___
Which day had the fewest? ___
How many more steps on Thursday than Wednesday? ___
Total steps for the week: ___
Reading Scale Values
If each square on the graph represents 5 units, find the value.
Temperature Graph (A)
Daily max temperatures: Mon 22°C, Tue 24°C, Wed 25°C, Thu 23°C, Fri 20°C, Sat 19°C, Sun 21°C.
Highest temperature day: ___
Lowest temperature day: ___
Biggest drop between consecutive days: ___
Range of temperatures: ___
Temperature Graph (B)
Weekly temperatures: Week 1: 28°C, Week 2: 25°C, Week 3: 22°C, Week 4: 20°C.
What is the trend? ___
Average drop per week: ___°C
If the trend continues, predict Week 5's temperature: ___°C
Draw a Line Graph (A)
Draw a line graph for this data.
Plant height: Week 1: 2 cm, Week 2: 5 cm, Week 3: 9 cm, Week 4: 12 cm, Week 5: 14 cm. Draw below.
Draw a Line Graph (B)
Draw a line graph.
Rainfall (mm): Jan 80, Feb 60, Mar 40, Apr 30, May 20. Draw below. Label both axes.
Describe Trends
Describe what each graph would show.
A graph of your height from age 0 to 10 would show a line that goes ___ because ___
A graph of ice cream sales from winter to summer would show ___
A graph of temperature from 6 AM to noon would show ___
Interpret Trends
Circle the correct interpretation.
A line going steeply upward means...
A line that goes up then down shows...
A zigzag line shows...
Reading Between Points
Use a graph to estimate values between data points.
At Week 1 height = 2 cm, Week 2 = 5 cm. Estimate height at 1.5 weeks: about ___ cm
At noon temp = 20°C, at 2 PM = 24°C. Estimate temp at 1 PM: about ___°C
Compare Two Data Sets (A)
City A: Jan 30°C, Apr 25°C, Jul 15°C, Oct 22°C. City B: Jan 20°C, Apr 18°C, Jul 10°C, Oct 16°C.
Which city is generally warmer? ___
In which month is the difference greatest? ___
Which city has a bigger temperature range? ___
Compare Two Data Sets (B)
Student A test scores: Test 1: 60, Test 2: 70, Test 3: 75, Test 4: 80. Student B: Test 1: 80, Test 2: 75, Test 3: 70, Test 4: 65.
Who is improving? ___
Who is declining? ___
In which test did they score the same? ___
If the trends continue, predict Test 5 scores: A: ___ B: ___
Multi-Line Graph Analysis
Describe what you would see on a graph showing rainfall in two cities.
If City A has wet summers and dry winters, describe the line shape: ___
If City B has constant rainfall, describe the line shape: ___
How would the two lines compare on the same graph? ___
Predict from a Graph
Use line graph data to make predictions.
A school's enrolment: 2020: 350, 2021: 370, 2022: 390, 2023: 410. Predict 2024: ___
What is the pattern? The school grows by about ___ students per year.
When might the school reach 500 students? ___
Create Your Own Line Graph Data
Create data that would make interesting line graphs.
Create data showing a steady increase (e.g., savings growing each week):
Create data showing a pattern that goes up and down (e.g., temperature over a day):
Match Graph Features (C)
Draw a line.
Line Graph Basics (C)
Circle the correct answer.
Line graphs are NOT suitable for...
The x-axis is the ___ axis.
Data points on a line graph are joined by...
A line graph needs a...
Line Graph Basics (D)
Circle the correct answer.
If the line drops steeply, values are...
A line graph is read from...
The scale on the y-axis should...
Sort: Good or Bad for a Line Graph?
Sort each data set.
Read Values from a Line Graph (B)
A line graph shows plant height (cm): Week 1: 3, Week 2: 5, Week 3: 8, Week 4: 12, Week 5: 15.
How much did the plant grow from Week 1 to Week 5? ___
In which week did it grow the most? ___
Average growth per week: ___
If the pattern continues, predicted height at Week 6: ___
Reading Scale Values (B)
If each square on the graph represents 10 units, find the value.
Read Values from a Line Graph (C)
A graph shows daily rainfall (mm): Mon 5, Tue 12, Wed 8, Thu 0, Fri 3, Sat 15, Sun 10.
Wettest day: ___
Driest day: ___
Total rainfall for the week: ___ mm
Biggest change between consecutive days: ___
Temperature Graph (C)
Morning temperatures over a week: Mon 12°C, Tue 14°C, Wed 13°C, Thu 15°C, Fri 16°C, Sat 11°C, Sun 10°C.
Describe the general trend Mon-Fri: ___
What happened over the weekend? ___
Range of temperatures: ___
If you drew this as a line graph, where would the peak be?
Draw a Line Graph (C)
Draw a line graph.
Savings ($): Week 1: 10, Week 2: 18, Week 3: 25, Week 4: 33, Week 5: 40. Draw below. What is the trend?
Draw a Line Graph (D)
Draw a line graph.
Pool temperature (°C) by month: Oct 18, Nov 22, Dec 26, Jan 28, Feb 27, Mar 24. Draw below.
Interpret Trends (B)
Circle the correct interpretation.
A line that goes steadily upward means...
A line that is mostly flat with one sharp spike shows...
Two lines on the same graph that cross means...
Reading Between Points (B)
Estimate values between data points.
At 8 AM temp = 15°C, at 10 AM = 21°C. Estimate temp at 9 AM: about ___°C
Week 2 height = 10 cm, Week 4 = 18 cm. Estimate height at Week 3: about ___ cm
At noon rainfall = 0 mm, at 3 PM = 12 mm. Estimate rainfall at 1:30 PM: about ___ mm
Match Trends to Descriptions
Draw a line.
Sort: Increasing, Decreasing or Constant?
Sort each scenario.
Describe What the Graph Shows
Describe the trend each graph would show.
A graph of sunset times from June to December (in Australia): ___
A graph of a runner's speed during a marathon: ___
A graph of water level in a bath (filling then draining): ___
Compare Two Data Sets (C)
School A enrolment: 2020: 300, 2021: 320, 2022: 340, 2023: 360. School B: 2020: 400, 2021: 390, 2022: 380, 2023: 370.
Which school is growing? ___
Which school is declining? ___
In what year might they have equal enrolment? ___
If trends continue, predict 2024: School A: ___ School B: ___
Multi-Line Graph Analysis (B)
Two cities' temperatures: City A (coastal): Jan 28, Apr 22, Jul 14, Oct 20. City B (inland): Jan 35, Apr 20, Jul 8, Oct 22.
Which city has more extreme temperatures? ___
In which season are the cities most similar? ___
What causes the difference between coastal and inland temperatures?
Predict from a Graph (B)
Use trends to make predictions.
A tree grows: Year 1: 50 cm, Year 2: 90 cm, Year 3: 120 cm, Year 4: 140 cm. Is growth speeding up or slowing down? Predict Year 5.
Rainfall is decreasing: Jan 120 mm, Feb 100 mm, Mar 80 mm. If the pattern continues, what months might have 0 mm?
Graph Interpretation Challenge
A graph shows electricity usage over 24 hours: 12 AM low, rises at 6 AM, peaks at 6 PM, drops at 10 PM.
What causes the peak at 6 PM?
Why is usage lowest at night?
Would the graph look the same on a weekend? Explain.
Line Graph Reasoning
Circle the correct answer.
Two lines on a graph that never cross are...
If one line is always above another, it means...
A line graph with monthly data has ___ data points for a year.
Changing the y-axis scale can make a graph look...
Create Your Own Comparison Graph
Create data for two related things that could be compared.
Topic: ___. Two things to compare: ___ and ___
Create 6 data points for each:
Describe what the double line graph would show:
Match Graph Features (D)
Draw a line from each graph description to its meaning.
Calculate Changes from a Graph
Data: Week 1: 5, Week 2: 8, Week 3: 12, Week 4: 15. Find the change.
Line Graph Basics (E)
Circle the correct answer.
A double line graph shows...
If the y-axis scale jumps from 0 to 50, the graph may...
The x-axis of a line graph showing yearly data would show...
Sort: What Does the Trend Mean?
Sort each line graph description.
Temperature Graph (D)
Temperature: Jan 28°C, Feb 30°C, Mar 27°C, Apr 22°C, May 16°C, Jun 12°C.
Describe the trend: ___
Biggest monthly drop: ___°C from ___ to ___
If pattern continued, predict July: ___°C
What season are these months in (Australia)? ___
Draw a Line Graph (E)
Draw line graphs for each data set.
A student's weekly spelling test scores: Wk1: 7, Wk2: 8, Wk3: 6, Wk4: 9, Wk5: 10. Draw below and describe the trend.
Read Between Data Points (C)
Estimate values between given data points.
At 6 AM: 8°C. At 12 PM: 20°C. Estimate temperature at 9 AM: ___°C
Week 1: 15 cm. Week 3: 21 cm. Estimate Week 2: ___ cm
Monday: $50 saved. Wednesday: $80 saved. Estimate Tuesday: $___
Monthly Visitors to a Website
Monthly website visitors (hundreds).
| January | |
| February | |
| March | |
| April | |
| May | |
| June |
Which month had most visitors?
Describe the overall trend.
Total visitors over 6 months (in hundreds)?
Predict July visitors based on the trend.
Graph Reading Accuracy
Students read a line graph. Count their answers.
| Item | Tally | Total |
|---|---|---|
Read correctly | ||
Off by 1-2 | ||
Off by more | ||
Could not read |
Comparing Two Line Graphs
Compare boy and girl reading scores over 4 years.
Boys: Yr2: 55, Yr3: 62, Yr4: 68, Yr5: 73. Girls: Yr2: 60, Yr3: 65, Yr4: 71, Yr5: 76. Who has higher scores? ___
Who improved more over the 4 years? Boys: +___ Girls: +___
In which year was the gap between boys and girls smallest? ___
Real-World Line Graph Questions
Think critically about line graphs.
A graph shows rainfall increased from 50 mm to 60 mm. The y-axis starts at 45. Does this make the increase look large or small? ___
Why might a company choose to start the y-axis at 50 instead of 0?
How would you make the same graph look more honest?
Line Graph Reasoning (B)
Circle the correct answer.
A graph about ice cream sales would probably show a peak in...
A graph showing electricity use per hour would probably peak at...
Two lines on a graph that are parallel have...
Extrapolation means predicting ___ the data range.
Extrapolation and Prediction
Use trends to make predictions.
Savings: Wk1: $10, Wk2: $20, Wk3: $30, Wk4: $40. Pattern: adds $10 each week. Predict Wk8: $___
Height: Age 5: 110 cm, Age 6: 116 cm, Age 7: 122 cm. Predict Age 10: ___ cm
Why might extrapolation be unreliable far into the future?
Match Line Graph Terms
Draw a line from each term to its meaning.
Graph Scale Reading
If the y-axis scale increases by 5 each square, find the value at each position.
Reading a Multi-Line Graph
Two families track spending: Family A: Mon $50, Tue $30, Wed $60, Thu $40, Fri $80. Family B: Mon $30, Tue $30, Wed $30, Thu $30, Fri $30.
Which family spends more consistently? ___
Which family spends more in total? A: $___ B: $___
On which day was the difference between families greatest? ___
Draw a Double Line Graph
Draw a double line graph.
Temperature: City A: Mon 22, Tue 24, Wed 20, Thu 25, Fri 23. City B: Mon 18, Tue 19, Wed 17, Thu 20, Fri 19. Draw the graph and label both lines.
Interpret Trends (C)
Circle the correct answer.
A line that starts steep then flattens shows...
Two lines that converge (get closer together) means...
A line with peaks and troughs every 12 months shows...
Sort: What Type of Graph is Best?
Sort each scenario.
Sports Statistics Line Graph
A team's season results: Wins per month: Mar: 3, Apr: 4, May: 2, Jun: 5, Jul: 6, Aug: 4.
Best month: ___ Worst month: ___
Total wins for the season: ___
Describe the overall trend: ___
Predict wins in September based on the trend: ___
Rainfall and Temperature Comparison
Compare two graphs.
Rainfall (mm): Jan 80, Apr 40, Jul 20, Oct 30. Temperature (°C): Jan 28, Apr 22, Jul 14, Oct 20. Which season is hottest and driest? ___
Which season is coolest and wettest? ___
What type of climate does this data suggest (tropical/Mediterranean/temperate)? ___
Weekly Step Count
Daily steps recorded on a fitness tracker.
| Monday | |
| Tuesday | |
| Wednesday | |
| Thursday | |
| Friday | |
| Weekend |
Most active day?
Total steps for the week (×1000)?
Describe the trend Mon-Fri
Would a line graph show this trend well?
Students Drawing Line Graphs
Accuracy of students' line graphs.
| Item | Tally | Total |
|---|---|---|
Excellent | ||
Good | ||
Satisfactory | ||
Needs practice |
Sunrise and Sunset Line Graph
In Australia, sunrise times change throughout the year.
Sunrise times: Jan 06:10, Apr 07:00, Jul 07:35, Oct 06:15. What is the range? ___
In which month is the latest sunrise? ___ Earliest? ___
What causes this pattern? ___
Graph Critique
Evaluate the quality of line graphs.
List 4 features a good line graph must have: ___, ___, ___, ___
Describe one way a graph could be made misleading: ___
How can you tell if a line graph shows correlation vs causation?
Match Line Graph Feature to Description
Draw a line.
Graph Scale Reading (B)
If each square on the graph represents 20 units, find the value.
Interpret Line Graph Trends (B)
Circle the correct description.
A line going steeply upward represents...
A horizontal line on a graph means...
A line going down steeply then up sharply shows...
Two lines crossing on a graph means...
Sort Trends: Increasing, Decreasing, or Neither?
Sort each line graph description.
Create and Interpret a Double Line Graph
Compare two sets of data on the same graph.
Team A wins per month: Jan 2, Feb 3, Mar 4, Apr 2, May 5. Team B: Jan 4, Feb 3, Mar 2, Apr 3, May 1. Draw both lines on a graph:
In which month were they equal? ___. Which team improved more? ___
Interpreting Line Graphs in Science
A plant was measured weekly.
Heights: Wk1=3, Wk2=5, Wk3=8, Wk4=10, Wk5=10, Wk6=9. Describe the growth trend:
Why might the plant stop growing between week 4 and 5?
Why did height decrease in week 6?
Non-Linear Graph Sequences
Continue these sequences that could appear on non-linear line graphs.
Compare Line Graph Data Points
Tick which is higher or lower.
Month 3 value of 80 vs Month 6 value of 50 — which is higher?
Starting value of 30 vs ending value of 70 — did the graph increase?
Climate Data Analysis
Use climate data to answer questions.
City A mean monthly rainfall (mm): Jan 120, Apr 60, Jul 20, Oct 45, Dec 90. Best month for outdoor event: ___
Range of rainfall data: ___
If this is Darwin, is it tropical or temperate climate? How do you know?
Stock Market Line Graph
A simplified stock price graph.
Prices: Mon $5.20, Tue $5.45, Wed $5.30, Thu $5.60, Fri $5.75. Increase from Mon to Fri: ___
On which day did the price drop? ___. By how much? ___
Overall trend: ___. Would you recommend buying this stock? Explain:
Reading Data from Line Graphs (D)
Read values from descriptions of line graphs.
A graph shows temperature rising from 12°C at 6am to 28°C at 2pm. Rate of increase per hour: ___
If it then drops to 18°C by 10pm (8 hours), rate of decrease per hour: ___
Sketch a rough line graph of this day's temperatures:
Continuous vs Discrete Data on Line Graphs
Understand what data suits a line graph.
Is 'daily temperature' continuous or discrete data? ___. Is it appropriate for a line graph? ___
Is 'number of students absent each day' continuous or discrete? ___. Can you connect the points with a line? ___
Give an example of continuous data you could show on a line graph:
Making Predictions from Line Graphs
Use a line graph trend to predict future values.
A plant's height (cm): Week 1=3, Week 2=6, Week 3=9, Week 4=12. If this continues, Week 6 height: ___
Describe the trend: ___. Is this trend likely to continue forever? Why not?
Interpolation vs Extrapolation
Reading between data points vs beyond them.
A graph shows data at 09:00 (15°C) and 11:00 (23°C). Estimate temperature at 10:00: ___. This is called interpolation.
Estimate temperature at 13:00 based on the trend: ___. This is called extrapolation.
Why is extrapolation less reliable than interpolation? ___
Comparing Graphs: Line vs Bar
Explain the difference in display.
A line graph shows temperature over a month. A bar graph shows students' shoe sizes. Why is each graph the appropriate choice?
Could you swap these graph types? What would be lost? ___
Line Graph Features (B)
Match each feature to its description.
Scale Reading Bonds
A graph has y-axis scale in multiples of 5. Fill in missing values.
Does the Trend Increase or Decrease?
Circle the correct trend description.
Values: 5, 10, 15, 20 — the trend is:
Values: 50, 40, 30, 20 — the trend is:
Values: 10, 10, 10, 10 — the trend is:
Values: 2, 4, 3, 5, 4, 6 — the overall trend is:
Sort Line Graph Events: Increasing or Decreasing?
Classify each scenario.
Drawing a Line Graph from Data
Plot this data as a line graph.
Daily high temps (°C): Mon=24, Tue=27, Wed=22, Thu=19, Fri=25, Sat=29, Sun=26. Draw a line graph with proper labels:
What was the temperature range for the week? ___. On which day was it coldest? ___
Double Line Graph Analysis
Read and compare two line graphs.
Year 5 reading scores: Term 1=65, Term 2=70, Term 3=74, Term 4=79. Year 6: T1=70, T2=72, T3=74, T4=76. Which class improved more? ___
When did the classes have the same score? ___. What might explain the trends?
Line Graph Values: Find the Rule
Extend each data sequence.
Compare Two Line Graphs (B)
Which line graph shows a bigger increase?
Graph A goes from 20 to 50 vs Graph B goes from 20 to 80 — which increased more?
A: increases by 30 in 5 steps vs B: increases by 30 in 3 steps — which has steeper slope?
Trend Direction in Student Data
Classify each student's progress graph.
| Item | Tally | Total |
|---|---|---|
Consistently increasing | ||
Consistently decreasing | ||
Up and down | ||
Flat/stable |
Monthly Visitors to a National Park
Each icon = 500 visitors.
| January | |
| April | |
| July | |
| October |
Total visitors across all 4 months?
Trend: increasing, decreasing, or mixed?
Which month had most visitors?
Average visitors per month?
Constructing Scales for Line Graphs
Choose appropriate scales for a line graph.
Data ranges from 45 to 98. A good y-axis might start at ___ and go to ___ with intervals of ___
Why would a y-axis starting at 40 be misleading if your data starts at 45?
Design the axes for a line graph showing weekly temperatures from 12°C to 35°C:
Science and Line Graphs
Scientists use line graphs to show experimental results.
A plant grows: Week 1=2 cm, Week 2=5 cm, Week 3=9 cm, Week 4=14 cm, Week 5=20 cm. Does it grow the same amount each week? ___
If it grew in a straight line, what would we expect for Week 6? ___. What does the curve suggest about its growth?
Analysing Real Data (B)
Interpret real data shown in a line graph description.
Mobile phone usage in Australia: 2010=22 million, 2015=25 million, 2020=28 million. Average increase per 5 years: ___
Predict for 2025: ___. Is the trend linear? What does linear mean?
What factors might cause a sudden sharp change in the trend?
Home Activity: Make a Line Graph
Create your own line graph!
- 1Record the temperature outside each day for a week. Draw a line graph.
- 2Track how many pages you read each day. Graph your reading progress.
- 3Measure a plant's growth each week. Create a line graph.
- 4Compare two line graphs from the news. What differences do you notice?