Table and Graphs

Tables and graphs can be useful tools for helping people make decisions. However, they only provide part of a story. Inferences often have to be made from the data shown. As well as being able to identify clearly what the graph or table is telling us, it is important to identify what parts of the story are missing. This can help the reader decide what other information they need, or whether the argument should be rejected because the supporting evidence is suspect.  

*Tables

In our ARB trials we have found that most students can complete simple table-reading tasks.
Students have had difficulty with

• constructing more complex tables, e.g. two-way tables
• transforming data from texts
• interpolating and extrapolating information
• answering questions that involve calculations.    

  *Graphs

In our ARB trials we have found students may have difficulty with :

-selecting an appropriate graph to communicate their findings
-providing a title for the graph
-naming the axes
-reading the scale of the axes, and relating them to the shape of or trends in the graph
-deciding on the appropriate scale to use when  constructing graphs
-marking sub-units on the axes at regular intervals (although occasionally marking at irregular -intervals may be acceptable)
-including the units of measure (plus any multipliers) on each axis of a graph
-answering questions that involve calculations
-plotting information from an article/ written text
-identifying trends, explaining or synthesising relationships between two graphs, or two or more variables
-reading the overall shape or trend of a graph
-interpreting time/distance graphs. They read or construct them as a picture of what happened.
This is the example of Graphs :
Line Graphs and Bar Graphs






Pie Graphs

Histogram