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How to Make a Graph for Fifth-Grade Math

Analyzing data to make decisions can be a daunting task. Representing data in the form of a graph can help clarify it and ease the decision-making process. There are many types of graphs used in business, industry, science and education. The first paper on the history of graph theory, "Seven Bridges of Königsberg," was written by Leonhard Euler in 1736. Since those early beginnings much progress has been made and graph theory is used by linguistics professors, sociologists, biologists, mathematicians and engineers.

Things You'll Need

  • Graph paper
  • Straight edge
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Instructions

    • 1

      Obtain the data to be graphed.

    • 2

      Decide on the type of graph to use based on your data. Bar graphs are good for making comparisons, while double bar graphs are best for comparing two sets of data. To show changes over time, line graphs are the best choice; for two sets of data, use double line graphs. To show data in equal intervals, histograms are ideal. If the given data forms parts of a whole, a circle graph works well. Also, you can use pictographs to show data that are multiples of a number.

    • 3

      Draw the boundary for the graph by drawing an X axis and a Y axis on the graph paper that are an appropriate size to accommodate all of the data.

    • 4

      Label the X and Y axes.

    • 5

      Write a title on the top of the graph.

    • 6

      Plot the data points.

    • 7

      Add a legend if necessary.

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