Understanding and Writing about Charts and Graphs

Show a graph or chart. Ask students about their experince with graphs or charts:

• Where do you usually see graphs or charts?     
• What kind of information do they show?
• Have you ever had to read or interpret one at work or in daily life? What information did it show? Why was it represented in graphical form instead of just text/words?

Give examples of where people might encounter these graphs (e.g., in news reports, business presentations, or personal budgeting). Tell students that reading, interpreting, and describing data as presented in graphs and charts is an important workplace skill that they are going to practice in this lesson.

Show different common types of graphs (bar, pie, line) and ask students which they recognize.

Elicit from students with prompting questions the purpose and use of one type of graph over another:

• Bar charts: Used for comparing amounts across categories. 
• Pie charts: Show proportions or percentages within a whole. 
• Line graphs: Illustrate changes over time.

Using other examples of graphs, go over selected vocabulary:

Types of Graphs and Charts

Bar graph
Line graph
Pie chart
Histogram
Scatter plot
Table
Diagram
Flowchart
Infographic

Parts of Graphs and Charts

Axis (x-axis, y-axis)
Title
Label
Legend (or key)
Data point
Gridlines
Scale
Units
Categories
Series

Describing Trends and Data

Increase
Decrease
Fluctuate
Rise
Drop
Peak
Plateau
Climb
Decline
Steady
Sharp (e.g., "a sharp increase")
Gradual (e.g., "a gradual decline")
Spike
Dip
Comparison
Proportion
Percentage
Majority
Minority
Average
Range

Resource: You may consult or opt to use the National Center for Educational Statistics Create a Graph Tutorial, which includes a printable PDF.

Display a sample bar chart (e.g., sales data over several months). Point out the title, axes, labels, and key data points. Then ssk simple questions such as the following: "In which month were sales highest?" or "Which category had the lowest value?"

Show a pie chart and line graph based on the same data. Discuss how the same information can be presented in different ways and what each graph emphasizes.

Use the video Describing Graphs & Charts in English with prepared questions for students to focus their listening. Be sure to turn on the captions. The video includes a timestamped transcript.

1. Give each student a worksheet with three graphs (one bar chart, one pie chart, one line graph). Include questions to answer, such as the following:

• What is the main trend in this line graph?
• What percentage of the whole does this section of the pie chart represent?
• How do the values compare in the bar chart?

2. Have students work in pairs to discuss their answers and check understanding. Encourage use of vocabulary such as increase, decrease, highest, lowest, etc.

3. Have students interview each other on provided topics and tally the responses. Then have them determine which type of graph or chart would be most appropriate for the data collected. For an example, see the "Interview Classmates" document.

4. Distribute and go over the "Writing about Graphs and Charts" document. Have students complete the paragraph frame about the chart included on the file and discuss as a whole class. Then explain the assignment and model writing about another graph, going through the steps. Students will write about the provided graph, or be assigned to find a graph on a given topic, or be allowed to search for a graph online on a topic of their choice. Suggested website are the New York Times Learning Network site What’s Going on in the Graph? and Statistica Daily Data.

Optionally, have students present the graphs they write about.

Provide revising and editing feedback on students' inital drafts. Then use a rubric or checklist for summative assessment.

Lead a discussion for students to learn to apply their knowledge to real-world situations. Ask students to discuss how they might use graphs or charts in their personal or professional lives:

• How can graphs help you at work?   
• Have you ever made a graph for something important (e.g., budgeting or reporting)?   
• Where might you encounter graphs in the future?

Assign students homework of bringing to class the next a graph or chart they come across (e.g., from news or work) and share with the class next time.