Types of Graphs Teaching Resources
Teach your students the different types of graphs with printable graphing activities, worksheets, games and more data activities created by teachers for teachers like you!
Aligned with both TEKS and the Common Core math curriculum, the printables and digital activities in this collection can help you not just introduce each type of graph but also give your students practice using each one to represent and analyze data.
Whether it's your first year covering the various types of graphs in your math classes, or you're just looking for some handy tips and tricks, the Teach Starter teacher team has you covered. Read on for a primer that covers some of the main graph types plus a handy way to explain what a graph is to your students.
What Is a Graph? A Kid-Friendly Definition
Before you can start discussing the various graph types, it helps to explain what a graph is in math. That's where our definition could come in handy!
A graph is a visual way to show data. Graphs help make information easier to understand and analyze.
What Are the Different Types of Graphs?
There is a long list of different types of graphs that mathematicians use to represent numbers and other forms of data. So, which graph types do your students need to know about right now?
Let's take a look at the more common graphing types we use in elementary and middle school math classes:
1. Bar Graphs
A bar graph is a type of graph that uses rectangular shapes called bars to represent quantities or values of data. Bars on a bar graph will be different heights or different lengths to represent the quantity or value.
This makes it easy to compare the values.
2. Line Graphs
A line graph uses points that are connected by lines to show the relationship between two sets of data.
Line graphs are helpful when we want to see changes in data sets over a period of time.
3. Pictographs
The "picto" in pictographs refers to pictures, which are used in this graph type to represent data.
4. Pie Charts
Did you know that a graph is a kind of chart? Although pie charts may not be called "pie graphs," these circles divided by lines to resemble slices of pie are most definitely a type of graph.
Pie charts can be used to represent parts of a whole or categories of a whole, and they help us understand the proportion or percentage of each category.
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Properties of Materials - Graphing Worksheets
Explore materials and mathematics with engaging Properties of Materials Graphing Worksheets.
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Battleship Coordinate Plane Game
Use this coordinate plane game to practice plotting ordered pairs on the coordinate grid.
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Isometric Paper Templates - Dotted/Lined
Isometric Paper - Dotted Paper Printable
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Number Talks - Data Analysis Task Cards
Build data analysis skills with this set of 26 task cards.
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Picture Graph Templates
A set of blank picture graph templates for students to represent data.
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Data Collection Project
Complete this data collection project with your students to give them practice developing a statistical question, collecting data, and displaying the results.
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Collecting and Representing Data Worksheet Set
Download our collecting and representing data worksheet set to get your students collecting, organizing, and displaying data.
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Plotting Points on a Coordinate Plane Worksheet Set
Utilize our Plotting Points on a Coordinate Plane Worksheet Set to give your students practice locating and plotting points on a coordinate grid.
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Count and Graph Worksheet Pack
Explore counting and graphing skills with this set of three worksheets.
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Bar Graphs Worksheet
Use this double-sided bar graphs worksheet to check your students’ understanding of interpreting and drawing bar graphs.
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Interpreting Graphs Task Cards
Use this set of task cards students to practice interpreting bar graphs, histograms and line plots.
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Analyzing Dot Plots Task Cards
Strengthen data analysis skills by interpreting dot plots with this set of 24 task cards.
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Understanding Pictographs - Task Cards
Use this set of task cards to practice reading and interpreting pictographs and bar graphs.
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Pictograph Puzzles
Practice reading and interpreting pictographs with these fun puzzles which require students to match pictographs with other data displays with matching data.
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Graphing (Pictographs) Task Cards
Get graphing! Use these levelled pictograph task cards to show students a variety of data collection records, and have them create pictographs to represent that data.
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Analyzing Graphs (Scaled Intervals) – Board Game
Use this board game to sharpen data analysis skills when solving problems with information presented in a scaled picture graph and bar graph.
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Analyzing Graphs (Single-Unit Intervals) – Board Game
Sharpen student data analysis skills when solving problems with information presented in a single-unit picture graph and bar graph with this board game.
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Draw a Bar Graph and Pictograph (Scaled Intervals) – Task Cards
Practice drawing scaled bar graphs and pictographs with this set of task cards.
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Analyzing Graphs — Scaled Bar Graphs, Pictographs, & Dot Plots —Task Cards
Use data analysis skills to analyze scaled bar graphs, pictographs, and dot plots with this set of task cards.
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Pictograph and Bar Graph Match-Up (Single-Unit Intervals)
Use data analysis skills to match frequency tables with a corresponding bar graph or pictograph.
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Pictograph, Bar Graph, & Dot Plot Match-Up (Scaled Intervals)
Use data analysis skills to match tally charts and frequency tables with their corresponding bar graph, pictograph, or dot plot.
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Analyzing Graphs – Single-Unit Bar Graphs & Pictographs – Task Cards
Use data analysis skills to analyze bar graphs and pictographs with this set of task cards.
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Count and Graph – In the Classroom
Practice collecting, sorting, and organizing data to create a graph with this 2-page worksheet.
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Coordinate Plane Anchor Chart
Display this coordinate plane anchor chart in your classroom when introducing your students to coordinate grids and ordered pairs.
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Mix & Measure Temperature Experiment
Explore temperature changes and practice reading a thermometer with our Mix and Measure Temperature Experiment.
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How Does It Move? Toy Graphing Worksheets
Explore motion and mathematics with engaging Toy Graphing Worksheets.
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Easter Coordinate Graphing Worksheets
Hop into your study of ordered pairs with Easter Coordinate Graphing Worksheets.
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Coordinate Plane Escape Room
Play this engaging coordinate plane escape room with your students to help them refine their coordinate grid skills.
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Bar Graph Anchor Chart
Hang this bar graph anchor chart in your classroom to teach your students about the different parts of this commonly used graph.
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Graphing Data Worksheets (Coordinate Plane)
Introduce these graphing data worksheets to your students to give them practice graphing real-world situations on the coordinate plane.
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Real-World Math Problems on the Coordinate Plane Worksheet Set
Interpret real-world math problems on the coordinate plane with our differentiated worksheet set.
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Coordinate Plane Games — "Roll and Graph"
Play our coordinate plane games in your classroom to enhance students’ ability to plot points and find the distance between them.