Curriculum › Grade 2 › Mathematics

Picture Graphs and Bar Graphs

  • Grade 2
  • Mathematics
  • 2.MD.D.10
  • Measurement & Data
  • Free lesson

Aligned to 2.MD.D.10 — Common Core State Standards for Mathematics.

What this lesson teaches

Graphs show how many are in each group. A picture graph uses pictures and a bar graph uses bars. Taller bars mean more.

Worked examples

Example 1

A bar graph shows 5 dogs and 3 cats. Dogs have the taller bar. There are 5 - 3 = 2 more dogs than cats.

Example 2

In a picture graph each ball stands for one child. If soccer has 6 balls and basketball has 4, then 6 + 4 = 10 children chose those two sports.

Example 3

Bars must all start at the same line. A bar that starts higher up looks taller than it really is.

Practice questions

  1. A graph shows 4 red cars and 7 blue cars. How many cars in all?
  2. If apples have 6 and bananas have 2, how many more apples?
  3. In a picture graph, each picture stands for 1 fruit. What do 5 pictures mean?

Watch the lesson

Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.

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En español

Pictogramas y gráficas de barras

Las gráficas muestran cuántos hay en cada grupo. Un pictograma usa dibujos y una gráfica de barras usa barras. Barras más altas significan más.

Ejemplo 1: Una gráfica de barras muestra 5 perros y 3 gatos. Los perros tienen la barra más alta. Hay 5 - 3 = 2 perros más que gatos.

Ejemplo 2: En un pictograma cada pelota representa un niño. Si fútbol tiene 6 pelotas y básquetbol tiene 4, entonces 6 + 4 = 10 niños escogieron esos dos deportes.

Ejemplo 3: Todas las barras deben empezar en la misma línea. Una barra que empieza más arriba se ve más alta de lo que en realidad es.

More Measurement & Data lessons

Counting Money2.MD.C.8Measuring Length with Standard Units; Line Plots2.MD.A.1Measuring with Two Different Units2.MD.A.2Estimating Lengths2.MD.A.3How Much Longer?2.MD.A.4Length Word Problems2.MD.B.5

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