Year 4 · Pictograms, Bar Charts and Time Graphs · Summary

Year 4 Pictograms, Bar Charts and Time Graphs: summary and key words

Part of the Year 4 pictograms, bar charts and time graphs chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page

Chapter summary

Skill	Method
Tally chart	One stroke for each thing. The fifth stroke goes across four. Count in 5s, then add the single strokes. The total is the frequency.
Pictogram	Read the key first. Count the symbols, multiply by the key. A half symbol is half the key. To draw: divide the number by the key.
Bar chart	Work out what each gridline or gap is worth. Read across from the top of the bar. Between the marks, count on in small gaps.
Drawing a bar chart	Title, labels, a scale from 0 going up in easy steps, bars the same width starting at 0. Check against the table.
Tables and two-way tables	Find the right row and column. Totals: add the row or column. Missing number: total minus the numbers you know.
Time graph	Up from the time, then across to the scale. To find a time: across from the number, then down. Flat means no change.
Discrete and continuous	Discrete: counted, whole numbers (bar chart, pictogram). Continuous: measured, any value (time graph).
How many more / altogether / difference	More, fewer, difference: subtract. Altogether, in total: add. Do the steps in order and check the unit.

I can make a tally chart and a frequency table, and count tally marks in fives.
I can read and draw a pictogram with a key, and use a half symbol.
I can read a bar chart with a scale in 1s, 2s, 5s, 10s, 20s or 50s, including values between the marks.
I can draw and complete a bar chart and choose a sensible scale.
I can read a table and a two-way table, and find missing numbers using totals.
I can read a time graph, find when something happens, and describe whether the line goes up, goes down or stays the same.
I can say if data is discrete or continuous, and choose a suitable chart.
I can solve “how many more”, “altogether” and “difference” problems with charts, and spot mistakes in them.

Data: Information that we collect, such as numbers or answers to a question.
Tally chart: A chart where we draw one stroke for each thing we count. Every fifth stroke goes across the other four.
Frequency: How many times something happens, or how many there are of one kind.
Frequency table: A table that lists each kind of thing and its frequency.
Pictogram: A chart that uses small pictures (symbols) to show data.
Key: The part of a pictogram that tells you how many one symbol is worth.
Bar chart: A chart that uses bars to show data. The longer the bar, the bigger the number.
Scale: The numbers on the side (or bottom) of a chart that tell you how much each gridline is worth.
Axis: A line of a chart with a scale or labels. A chart has two axes (more than one are called axes).
Two-way table: A table that shows two things at once, with totals for the rows and columns.
Discrete data: Data that we count. It is a whole number.
Continuous data: Data that we measure. It can have any value in between.
Time graph: A line graph that shows how something changes over time.
Trend: What the data is doing: going up, going down or staying the same.
Difference: How much bigger one number is than another. Subtract to find it.