The TITLE: depicts what the graph is about. By reading the title, the reader should get an idea about the graph. It should be a concise statement placed above the graph.

TITLE

A graph Contains...

The INDEPENDENT VARIABLE: is the variable that can be controlled or manipulated by the experimenter. It usually includes time (dates, minutes, hours, etc.), depth (feet, meters), and temperature (Celsius). This variable is placed on the X axis (horizontal axis). [MIX - manipulated, independent, X]

 INDEPENDENT VARIABLE

A graph Contains...

The DEPENDENT VARIABLE: is the variable that is directly affected by the independent variable or responds to changes in the independent variable. It is the result of what happens because of the independent variable. Example: How many oxygen bubbles are produced by a plant located five meters below the surface of the water? The oxygen bubbles are dependent on the depth of the water. This variable is placed on the Y or vertical axis. [DRY - dependent, responding, Y]

 DEPENDENT VARIABLE

A graph Contains...

The SCALES for each variable: In constructing a graph one needs to know where to plot the points representing the data. In order to do this, a consistent scale must be utilized to include all the data points. The scale should also take up a conservative amount of space. It is not suggested to have a run-on scale making the graph too hard to manage. The scale should start with 0 and climb or decrease based on intervals such as: multiples of 2, 5, 10, 20, 25, 50, or 100. The scale of numbers will be dictated by your data values. Scales must be consistent, with number intervals spaced evenly!

SCALES

A graph Contains...

The LEGEND/KEY: is the meaning of the symbols used in a graph or map. This could include shapes or colors to help the reader determine what the lines or bars on a graph mean. Always use a legend/key if more than one data set is represented on the same graph.

LEGEND/KEY

A graph Contains...

​allow us to compare groups or categories

​​Bar Graphs

​allow us to show trends over time or in sequential order

​​Line Graphs

​Types of Graphs

is anything that can be counted or measured; it refers to numerical data

Quantitative Data

is descriptive, referring to things that can be observed but not measured

Qualitative Data

Data

Mean

​The MEDIAN for a group of variables: To determine median or “middle” for an even number of values, put the values in ascending order and take the average of the two middle values. e.g. 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10 Add 4+5 (2 middle values) and divide by 2 to get 4.5 

Median

​The MODE for a group of variables: The mode for a group of values is the number that occurs most frequently. e.g. 2, 5, 8, 2, 6, 11 The number 2 is the mode because it occurred most often (twice).

Mode

​The MEAN for a group of variables: To determine the mean for a group of variables, divide the sum of the variable by the total number of variables to get an average.