Statistics - Introducing Line Graphs - Presentation

In the educational presentation on statistics, students are introduced to the concept of line graphs and how they represent continuous data. Continuous data is a type of data that can take any value within a given range and is often used to track changes over time. The lesson encourages students to think about what continuous data means and to provide examples. One of the key activities involves interpreting a line graph that shows the temperature in a playground over the course of a morning in March. Students are tasked with determining the temperature at specific times, identifying the warmest and coldest times, and learning how to read temperatures at intermediate times, such as 11:30 am, as well as figuring out the time when the temperature was a certain degree.

Further activities delve into the differences between line graphs and bar charts, and the importance of using the correct type of graph to represent different kinds of data. For instance, they explore why representing the number of dogs in a park as a line graph is incorrect, as it suggests the presence of half a dog, which is impossible. The presentation suggests using a bar chart, pictogram, or table for such discrete data. Another practical exercise involves Class 4's measurement of the height of a plant over several weeks, where students are asked to create their own line graph using the provided data and to determine between which two weeks the plant reached a certain height. This hands-on approach helps to solidify their understanding of how to interpret and create line graphs, as well as the significance of the x and y axes in representing time and the variable being measured.