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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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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Equations, Tables, and Graphs, Oh My! – Differentiated Worksheets
Use these differentiated worksheets to practice using equations to create patterns within input-output tables and graphs.
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Bar Graphs – Instructional Slide Deck
Learn about the features and how to create a bar graph with this 25-page instructional slide deck.
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Input-Output Tables and Graphing Task Cards
Practice reading input-output tables and plotting points in the first quadrant with this set of task cards.
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Creating Ordered Pairs From Input-Output Tables – Worksheet
Create ordered pairs from an input-output table and determine the rule for each table with this worksheet.
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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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Graph It! Worksheet (Single-Unit Intervals)
Draw a single-unit picture graph and bar graph to represent data with this worksheet.
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Graph It! Worksheet (Scaled Intervals)
Draw a scaled picture graph and bar graph to represent data with this worksheet.
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Columbus Day Count and Graph Worksheet
Practice counting objects with a Columbus Day count and graph worksheet.
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Count and Graph – New Year's Edition
Celebrate the new year by counting festive images and notating their totals as a bar graph.
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Count and Graph – The Picnic
Practice collecting, sorting, and organizing data to create a graph with this 2-page worksheet.
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Count and Graph – Under the Sea
Practice collecting, sorting, and organizing data to create a graph with this 2-page worksheet.
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Count and Graph – At the Beach
Practice collecting, sorting, and organizing data to create a graph with this 2-page worksheet.
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Count and Graph – Fruity Treats
Practice collecting, sorting, and organizing data to create a graph with this 2-page worksheet.
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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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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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Picture Graph Playoff – Math Game
A fun game for students to practice gathering and representing data in a picture graph.
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Types of Graphs Posters and Worksheets
A collection of posters displaying the different types of graphs along with matching worksheets to assist students with laying out graphs on the page.
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Types of Graphs Posters
This colorful and easy-to-digest visual display shows students the varying data displays they will encounter in their elementary math lessons.
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Data Math Investigation - Should I Buy It?
Practice collecting and graphing data in a real-world situation.