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Creating Line Plots

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Creating Line Plots
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.MD.B.4

Basics on the topic Creating Line Plots

How to Make a Line Plot

What is a line plot in math? A line plot is a way of collecting data on a number line! Let's learn how to make a line plot by looking at how to create a line plot using collected data. The illustration below shows the necessary steps for creating a number line.

24995_SEO-line-46.svg

Creating Line Plots – Example

Let’s look at an example on how to create a line plot. Remember the necessary steps. First, draw a number line, as shown below.

24995_SEO-line-19.svg

Then, identify the data range.

Box type Amount
$\frac{1}{4}$ 2
$\frac{1}{2}$ 2
$\frac{3}{4}$ 4
1 3

For this data, our range is one-quarter to one whole, so we will mark zero and one at either end of our number line. We use zero because almost all charts begin with zero, even when there is not a zero in the data.

24995_SEO-line-23.svg

Next, include plots on the number line for the rest of the data range. We need to mark one-quarter, one-half, and three-quarters.

24995_SEO-line-26.svg

Next, mark all the data on the line plot using an X to represent each box sold.

24995_SEO-line-39.svg

Finally, create a title that tells the audience what your data is showing.

24995_SEO-line-40.svg

Creating Line Plots – Summary

Creating line plots is a useful way to represent your data. You can use it to show and analyze your data. To create line plots, follow the steps in the chart below:

Step # What to do
1 Draw a number line
2 Identify the data range
3 Identify and mark the
frequency of each data
point on the line plot
4 Mark the data on the line plot
5 Write a title

How do you draw a line plot step by step? What is a line plot example? How do you make a good line plot? This text gave you all the necessary information to represent collected data on a line plot. For extra practice, have a look at our interactive exercises, worksheets and further activities for 3rd grade after watching the video!

Transcript Creating Line Plots

Nari and Gus are fundraising for bees! It looks like they have their first customer and wow, they buy a whole box of cookies! "Gus, we should keep track of how many boxes we sell of each size." "That's a great idea Nari. But how?" Let's learn together with Nari and Gus about creating line plots. A line plot is a graph that shows the frequency, or amount, of data along a number line. In order to create a line plot, first, draw a number line. Next, identify the data range. The data range is the lowest and highest values in your data set! Then, identify and mark the frequency of each data point on the line plot. Next, mark the data on the line plot. Data is usually marked with an X or a dot. Finally, write a title at the top for the line plot that describes the data. Nari and Gus have collected their data from selling cookies, so let's create a line plot! First, we draw our number line. Now we can identify the data range. The data range is from one quarter to one whole, because one quarter is the lowest value, and one whole is the highest value. Now mark the line plot with the data range. Even though we have no data for zero, we still mark it as line plots should usually start from zero. At the far end, mark one. To include plots for the rest of the data, mark one quarter, one half, and three quarters. Now start plotting the frequency of the data. Let's look at the data Nari and Gus collected. They sold two one quarter sized boxes, so plot two x's above one quarter on the line plot. How many one half sized boxes were sold? Two boxes, so mark with x's on the line plot. What about three-quarter sized boxes? Four boxes, so mark it like this. How many whole sized boxes were sold? Three whole boxes were sold, marking it like this. Finally, create a title for the data set! Cookie boxes sold by size is a good title because the graph shows how many boxes of each size were sold. Now we can analyze the data and see what it shows us! The line plot shows us Nari and Gus sold more three quarter size boxes of cookies than other sizes! It also shows us that the one quarter and one half were not popular! While Gus and Nari finish up selling cookies, let's review! Remember, when creating line plots first draw a number line. Next, identify the data range. Then, identify and mark the frequency of each data point on the line plot. Next, mark the data on the line plot. Finally, write a title for the line plot that describes the data. It looks like Nari and Gus have sold out of cookies! "Gus, how much money did we raise today?" "Wait, I thought YOU were collecting the money!" "No, that was your job. Were you too busy eating the cookies again?" "Oh yeah, I did collect the money, I was using an empty cookie box to collect it in!"

9 comments
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    From Noelani, about 1 year ago
  3. man

    From Carson (CJ), about 1 year ago
  4. yes

    From Carson (CJ), about 1 year ago
  5. SO COOL

    From Cameron, over 1 year ago
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