Line graphs and timetables
I can read a line graph and find my way round a timetable.
For grown-ups: this lesson in words
Years 4 to 6 · Maths
Line graphs and timetables: I can read a line graph and find my way round a timetable.
This is a line graph. Along the bottom axis are the weeks. Up the side is the height of Sam's sunflower in cm.
We put one point for each week. In week 1 the sunflower was 2 cm tall, so the first point is at 2.
Then we join the points with a line. By week 4 it was 10 cm tall.
The line goes up, so the sunflower grew taller every week. Line graphs show how something changes over time.
Picture: A line graph called "Sam's sunflower". The side says "Height in cm". Week 1: 2; Week 2: 4; Week 3: 7; Week 4: 10.
Your turn: This graph shows the temperature in Mei's garden one morning. There is one point for each time: 9 am, 10 am, 11 am and 12 noon. What was the temperature at 11 am?
Picture: A line graph called "Temperature in Mei's garden". The side says "Temperature in °C". 9 am: the point is on the 6 line; 10 am: the point is on the 8 line; 11 am: the point is on the 12 line; 12 noon: the point is on the 14 line.
Choose one:
- 8 °C
- 12 °C
- 14 °C
Answer
The answer: 12 °C
At 11 am the point is level with 12. It was 12 °C.
Picture: A line graph called "Temperature in Mei's garden". The side says "Temperature in °C". 9 am: 6; 10 am: 8; 11 am: 12; 12 noon: 14.
The temperature kept changing all morning. The line joins the points, so we can read between them.
Half past 9 has no point of its own. It is halfway along the line from 9 am to 10 am.
At 9 am it was 6 °C. At 10 am it was 8 °C.
Picture: A line graph called "Temperature in Mei's garden". The side says "Temperature in °C". 9 am: 6; 10 am: 8; 11 am: 12; 12 noon: 14. A straight line joins each point to the next.