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© 2014 Pacific Crest
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6.1
Interpreting Graphs and Diagrams
P
urpose
The role this topic plays in quantitative reasoning
Graphs and diagrams are all around you, from the instructions to assemble a toy, to viewing your
Smartphone data usage, marketing information for your favorite products, and even viewing your BMI
at the doctor’s office. Information is displayed graphically everywhere! Graphs, when done right, make
interpreting data simpler and easier.
A strong graphic can stand alone, without additional text to help explain what the graphic should be
communicating. In this activity, you will learn the keys to interpreting any graphic, including spotting
and addressing problems with a variety of different types of graphs and diagrams.
L
earning Goals
What you should learn while completing this activity
1. Extend your understanding of a greater number and types of graphics and diagrams
2. Understand how to interpret different types of graphics
3. Learn how to identify assumptions about the data and the graphics used to display that data
4. Catch misuse of graphics intended to mislead or incompetencies in creating graphics
D
iscovery
Finding out for yourself
Examine the graphs presented on the companion site. Were some graphs easier to interpret than others?
Why? What are some commonalities among all of the graphs? What types of graphs were presented?
W
hat Do You Already Know?
Tapping into your existing knowledge
1. How many different types of graphs can you name?
2. How many different types of diagrams can you name?
3. What differentiates a graph from a diagram?
4. What steps do you use to interpret a graphic?
5. What are the key components of a graphic?
M
athematical Language
Terms and notation
bar chart
— plots bars to represent categorical data measured as the frequency or percentage
diagram
— a visual representation of information (often including non-numeric data) that illustrates
or explains a topic/idea
flow chart
— a diagram that shows the mapping through questions, processes and decisions