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Bar graphs, picture graphs and tables – Grade 3 math lesson

Lesson 14 of 15 in the Grade 3 math course

US version. US grades, US spelling and dollars ($). · UK Maths Department

A complete 45-minute lesson for grade 3 (ages 8–9) that runs on this page – at school or at home. Every answer is graded right away, with a worked explanation.

Time
45 minutes + 15 min homework
Grade
Grade 3 (ages 8–9)
You need
Paper, a pencil and this page
Graded
Instantly, with explanations

For parents: how to use this lesson

You don't need to know this topic yourself. The lesson explains each step on screen, one tidy step at a time. Every answer is graded straight away with a worked explanation, so you never have to grade anything.

  1. Read what your child will learn and the big ideas together.
  2. Press Start the lesson below and sit with your child for the teaching and the worked examples (about 19 minutes).
  3. Let them do the practice on their own. They choose Getting started, On track or Challenge – start on On track and move up after a few right in a row.
  4. Finish with the exit ticket and the talk question: “Why might a chart use a scale of 5 instead of 1?”
  5. Later that day or the next day: the homework (15 minutes), then a practice test.

Watch out for

  • Counting the lines instead of reading the scale. Read the number on the scale level with the top of the bar.
  • Counting half pictures as whole ones. Check the key and halve it.

Tip for home: Look at charts in the news or on cereal boxes and talk about what they show.

What your child will learn

Learning goal: read and interpret bar graphs, picture graphs and tables.

Success looks like

  • I can read values using the scale or key.
  • I can compare values.
  • I can solve problems using the data.

Key words

scale
the numbers on the axis
key
what each picture stands for
axis
a line along the side or bottom of a chart
data
information collected

What to have ready

  • Paper and a pencil
  • This page on a computer, tablet or phone
  • For the hands-on part: Collect data about the family (favorite fruit, shoe size), make a table, then draw a chart.

The big ideas (for the adult)

Read the title and the axis labels first. Check the scale: each line on a bar graph may be worth 2, 5 or 10.

In a picture graph, use the key. Half a picture is worth half the key value.

To answer questions, find the values you need, then compare or add them.

The lesson, step by step

45 minutes in 5 parts
PartTimeHow it is checked
Starter: quick recall5 minGraded by Classfern
Teaching input10 minNot assessed, self-checked
Worked examples and guided practice9 minNot assessed, graded by Classfern
Independent practice15 minGraded by Classfern
Closure and exit ticket6 minGraded by Classfern, self-checked

Starter, "your turn", practice and exit ticket are graded by Classfern. Worked examples and teaching are not assessed. The hands-on task and the reflection are self-assessed. Explanations in talk are judged by the parent and not recorded.

The lesson

It runs here on the page. No sign-up and no names – progress is kept only in this browser.

Homework and practice at home

15 minutes: 8 practice questions, 3 multiple-choice questions and 2 to remember from earlier work, then a short reflection. New questions every time, all graded instantly.

More practice

All Grade 3 math lessons and tests · Math Department

More Grade 3 math lessons

Curriculum

Common Core State Standards 3.MD.B.3: “Draw a scaled picture graph and a scaled bar graph to represent a data set with several categories. Solve one- and two-step "how many more" and "how many less" problems using information presented in scaled bar graphs. For example, draw a bar graph in which each square in the bar graph might represent 5 pets.”

Our lessons and questions are our own. They are not written or endorsed by any government department, testing agency or exam board.