Graphs & Tables
Reading, interpreting, and extracting information from bar graphs, line graphs, pie charts, histograms, frequency tables, two-way tables, schedules, and other structured data displays
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Imagine trying to explain your favorite video game stats using only a giant, messy wall of numbers. Boring, right? That's exactly why we have graphs! Graphs are like picture books for math. They take a bunch of confusing data and turn it into cool pictures so we can see what's going on instantly.
Bar graphs use tall buildings (bars) to compare things, like who ate the most pizza at a party 🍕. Line graphs connect the dots to show a story over time, like how tall your puppy grows each month 📈. And pie charts? They are literally sliced up like a delicious pizza to show parts of a whole!
On the ISEE, you'll get to be a data detective. You'll look at these pictures and answer questions about them. The secret is to always read the labels first! If you know what the picture is showing, the math is usually a piece of cake 🍰. Let's learn how to read these graphs like a pro so you can grab those easy points on test day!
Practice Questions
4 practice questions for ISEE Lower Level
BOOKS READ IN ONE MONTH
| Student | Books Read |
|---|---|
| Aisha | 6 |
| Ben | 4 |
| Carmen | 9 |
| David | 5 |
How many more books did Carmen read than Ben?
Show Solution
- From the table, Carmen read 9 books and Ben read 4 books. Subtract to find the difference: . Carmen read 5 more books than Ben.
POINTS SCORED PER GAME
| Game | Team A | Team B |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 | 22 |
| 2 | 24 | 19 |
| 3 | 15 | 15 |
| 4 | 21 | 17 |
In which game did Team A score more points than Team B?
Show Solution
- Compare Team A and Team B scores for each game. Game 1: 18 < 22 (Team B wins). Game 2: 24 > 19 (Team A wins). Game 3: 15 = 15 (tie). Game 4: 21 > 17 (Team A wins). Team A scored more in Games 2 and 4.
Some students voted for their favorite fruit. The bar graph shows how many students chose each fruit.
How many more students chose apples than chose grapes?
Show Solution
- From the bar graph, 9 students chose apples and 4 students chose grapes. Subtract to find the difference: . Five more students chose apples than grapes.
A class kept track of their pets. The pictograph shows how many of each pet the students have. Each picture of a paw print stands for 2 pets.
How many pets do the students have in all?
Show Solution
- Each paw print stands for 2 pets. Count the paw prints for each pet: Dogs = 4 paw prints = 8 pets, Cats = 3 paw prints = 6 pets, Fish = 2 paw prints = 4 pets. Add them all: pets in all.
Tips & Strategies
- Always read the title and labels first! The ISEE loves to trick you by changing the units. If the side of the graph says 'in thousands', the number 5 actually means 5,000.
- Use your pencil as a ruler. If a bar graph is hard to read, line up your pencil from the top of the bar straight across to the numbers on the side to see exactly where it lands.
- Pay close attention to the 'key' or 'legend'. If a pictograph shows a drawing of a book, make sure to check if one drawing equals 1 book, 5 books, or 10 books!
Common Mistakes
- Watch out for skipping the labels! A common mistake is just looking at the shape of the graph and guessing the answer without reading what the numbers actually represent.
- Don't forget that a pie chart must always add up to (or ). If you're missing a slice, just subtract all the other slices from the total to find the missing piece!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to draw my own graphs on the ISEE?
Nope! The ISEE is entirely multiple-choice. You will only need to read and understand graphs that are already drawn for you.
What is a histogram? It sounds like a weird historical telegram!
Haha, it's actually just a special type of bar graph! Histograms group numbers into ranges (like ages 10-14, 15-19) and the bars touch each other to show that the numbers flow continuously without breaks.
What if I can't tell exactly where a line graph point is?
On the ISEE, the correct answer will usually be obvious enough that you can estimate safely. If a point looks exactly halfway between 10 and 20, it's safe to estimate it as 15!
Are graph questions in the Quantitative Reasoning or Mathematics Achievement section?
You can find them in both! In Quantitative Reasoning, you might compare the data in two graphs. In Mathematics Achievement, you'll usually do calculations like finding a fraction or an average from the graph.