LESSON PLAN

Line Graphs and Data Interpretation

Apothem Team

Grade 6 · Data & Probability

LESSON AT A GLANCE

Warm-up

5 min

Explore

15 min

Formalize

10 min

Practice

12 min

Exit ticket

3 min

Warm-up

Show a simple data table (time and temperature). Ask students to point out the highest and lowest values.

Explore

Students create a line graph from a data table. They plot points, connect them with lines, and describe the trend. Then, they interpret graphs created by others: reading values, identifying trends, making predictions.

Formalize

Steps to create a line graph: 1. Draw and label axes. 2. Plot each data point. 3. Connect points with line segments in order. 4. Add a title. To interpret: read values, identify trends, make predictions.

Line Graphs: plot (x, y) points and connect with line segments to show change over time.

Show how trends help us understand data: steady increase means consistent growth, flat line means no change, jagged line means variation.

Practice

Students create one line graph and interpret one provided graph. Exit ticket: answer one interpretation question.

Exit ticket

Students create one line graph and interpret one provided graph. Exit ticket: answer one interpretation question.

TIP Use real data sets students care about: sports scores, weather, social media trends. It makes the task meaningful.

WORKED EXAMPLES

Using the graph, what was the temperature at 12 PM?

Find 12 on the x-axis, move up to the line, read the y-axis value: e.g., 72°F.

Is the temperature increasing or decreasing overall?

From the shape of the line, determine the overall trend.

MATERIALS

•Graph paper

•Rulers

•Real-world data (temperature, stock prices, sports stats)

•Dot markers or colored pencils

WATCH FOR

!Plotting points but not connecting them (missing the line graph).

!Reading values inaccurately from the axes.

!Confusing x and y values when reading the graph.