Graphing Teaching Resources
Teach graphing this school year with printable worksheets, fun graphing activities and games, task cards and more teacher-created resources for elementary school math!
This collection of editable teacher-created resources is aligned with the Common Core curriculum. It has been carefully reviewed by the expert teachers on the Teach Starter team to ensure every single digital or printable resource is ready to use in the classroom. That means you can save hours on lesson planning with activities ready to print or use digitally!
Are you looking to learn more about teaching students to use graphs, or just on the hunt for fresh ideas and activities to engage your students? Read on for a primer from our teacher team, including a look graphing on this level and some key vocabulary!
What Is Graphing? A Kid-Friendly Definition
Graphing starts as early as kindergarten or first grade in many schools around the country with simple pictographs. But how do you explain what graphing is to the youngest students? This kid-friendly definition may help.
Graphing is a way to show information using pictures and symbols. It's sort of like drawing a picture that helps you understand numbers and facts.
For example, we could use graphs to show how many kids in our class like different colors or how many toys in the toy bin are cars.
Graphing Vocabulary for Elementary Teachers
Looking for a guide to some of the graphing vocabulary your students will encounter — and you will have to define? Here's a comprehensive look, along with some simple definitions!
- Data —Information that is collected and analyzed
- Axis — The horizontal and vertical lines that make up a graph.
- X-axis — The horizontal axis on a graph
- Y-axis — The vertical axis on a graph
- Bar — A rectangular shape we use to represent data on a bar graph
- Scale — The units used to measure data on a graph
- Pictogram/pictograph — A graph that uses pictures to represent data
- Legend/key — A chart that explains the symbols used on a graph (students may recognize this from their map skills lessons)
- Line of best fit — A straight line on a graph that represents the overall trend in a set of data
- Line plot — A graph that shows the frequency of data values on a number line
- Tally — A mark used to represent data on a tally chart
- Pie chart — A graph that shows the proportion of each data value to the whole, represented as a circle that looks like a pie
- Line graph — A graph that shows the relationship between two variables using a line
- Data point — An individual value on a graph
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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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We're Going On a Shape Hunt! Graphing Game
Consolidate students' knowledge of 2D shapes while teaching about data collection, recording and graphing!
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5th Grade Math Review – Google Slides Interactive Activity
Review important 5th-grade math standards with a student-led interactive activity that covers 12 different mathematical concepts.
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Draw a Bar Graph and Pictograph Task Cards (Single-Unit Intervals)
Practice drawing single-unit bar graphs and pictographs with this set of task cards.
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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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Graphing Numerical Equations – Google Slides Interactive Activity
Recognize and analyze patterns in graphs, input-output tables, and equations with this interactive activity.
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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 Line Plots Task Cards
Strengthen data analysis skills by interpreting line plots with this set of 24 task cards.
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Coordinate Grid Mystery Pictures
Practice graphing ordered pairs with this set of differentiated coordinate grid mystery pictures.
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Graphing Using Input-Output Tables – Differentiated Worksheets
Use data from input-output tables to graph points with this set of differentiated worksheets.
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Coordinate Plane Poster
A poster that explains the features of Coordinate Planes.
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Blank Graph Template
A blank template for constructing graphs.
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Creating Line Plots With Measurements – Differentiated Worksheets
Guide students to measure items to the nearest inch or ¼ inch, create a line plot and answer questions with this set of differentiated worksheets for 2nd and 3rd-grade students.
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5th Grade Math Review – Test Prep Packet
Encourage your students to work through 8 pages of 5th-grade math problems while charting their progress to measure their success.
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Ordered Pairs Match-Up
Practice plotting ordered pairs and describing the process for graphing with this match-up activity.
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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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Battleship Coordinate Grid Game
Practice using ordered pairs with this fun battleship game.
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Creating Line Plots (with Fractions and Decimals) Small Group Activity
Incorporate this small group activity into your math centers to reinforce students skills in interpreting data and displaying it as line plots.
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Creating Line Plots (With Whole Numbers, Fractions and Decimals) Worksheets
Help your students master data representation with this series of leveled worksheets for creating line plots.
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Looking at Line Plots With Fractions Task Cards
Challenge your students to analyze a line plot with fractions and answer questions with this this set of 24 task cards.
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Analyzing Line Plots – Differentiated Worksheets
Empower your students to become proficient data interpreters with this set of differentiated line plot worksheets.
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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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Input-Output Tables & 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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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 Match Game Cards (Set 1)
A match-up game for students to use when exploring data.
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Line Plot Bakery Interactive Activity
Assign this bakery-themed interactive activity to your students to build their understanding of analyisng and creating line plots.
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Analyzing Line Plots Interactive Activity
Dive into data with your class using this engaging Analyzing Line Plots Interactive Activity!
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Creating Line Plots Small Group Activity
Enhance your students’ math skills through this small group activity where they’ll transfer word based data to create line plots.
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Data Collection Investigation Project
Assign this data collection project to enable students to master the skills of acquiring and recording data.
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Differentiated Line Plot Worksheet
Guide your students to create line plots with whole-number or ¼ inch measurements with this differentiated line plot worksheet.
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Understanding Pictographs - Task Cards
Use this set of task cards to practice reading and interpreting pictographs and bar graphs.