Read the scale first: each line might be 2, 5 or 10. A bar between two lines is halfway. Then check where the scale starts before comparing bar heights.
scalethe numbers up the side and how far apart they are
bar grapha graph with bars whose heights show amounts
intervalthe jump between scale lines
misleadingmaking something look different than it is
Watch for: Counting each line as 1 when the scale goes by 5. Reading a bar halfway between lines as the line below. Saying a bar is three times as much because it looks three times as tall.
At home: Find a bar graph in the news or a magazine. Check where its scale starts, and ask whether the bars look fair.
Sample sheet and answer key
Luna's Space Adventure
Grade 4 · Bar graphs and scales · 4.DS.A.1
NameDate
Astronaut Luna is exploring a far-off corner of space. Solve each problem to help Luna's mission go smoothly!
Read the bar graph
Each line is 5.
How many moons?
How many more planets than stars?
How many planets and moons together?
Look again
This scale doesn't start at 0. How does that change the picture?
Where does the scale start?
The rockets bar looks 3 times as tall as the planets bar. Are there really 3 times as many?
How many more rockets than planets?
Yes or no?
Think about how a graph is drawn.
Two graphs show the same data. Can one make a difference look bigger?yesno
A graph's scale starts at 50. Can a short bar still stand for a big number?yesno
A bar twice as tall always means twice as much.yesno
Grade 4 · Sheet
Luna's Space Adventure
Grade 4 · Bar graphs and scales · 4.DS.A.1
Answer key
Astronaut Luna is exploring a far-off corner of space. Solve each problem to help Luna's mission go smoothly!
Read the bar graph
Each line is 5.
How many moons?10
How many more planets than stars?20
How many planets and moons together?55
Look again
This scale doesn't start at 0. How does that change the picture?
Where does the scale start?16
The rockets bar looks 3 times as tall as the planets bar. Are there really 3 times as many?no
How many more rockets than planets?4
Yes or no?
Think about how a graph is drawn.
Two graphs show the same data. Can one make a difference look bigger?yesno
A graph's scale starts at 50. Can a short bar still stand for a big number?yesno
A bar twice as tall always means twice as much.yesno
Answer key
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New problems every time, three levels (gentle, core and stretch), themes to pick from, a second page if you want one. Each sheet comes with an answer key and a one-page guide for grown-ups.
