Year 8 Science · Unit 4 · Lesson 5

Selecting the Right Graph Type

Foundation Worksheet

Name
Date
Class

Learning Goals

Warm Up

Match each term to its definition

Draw a line connecting each graph type on the left to its correct description on the right. Or write the matching letter next to each graph type.

Graph typeYour answerWhen to use it
Line graphA. Used when the IV is continuous (e.g. time, temperature) — reveals trends over time.
Bar graphB. Used when the IV is categorical (e.g. different species, different fertilisers) — bars do not touch.
Scatter plotC. Both IV and DV are numerical — used to explore correlation between two measured variables.
Pie chartD. Shows how parts make up a whole — best with fewer than 6 categories that total 100%.

Your Turn

Sort it!

Write each investigation description into the correct column: Line graph, Bar graph, or Scatter plot.

Comparing average height of 5 plant species after 4 weeks Temperature of cooling water measured every 2 minutes for 20 minutes Relationship between hours of sleep and reaction time in 30 students Number of students who chose each of 4 science topics as a favourite pH of a solution recorded every 30 seconds during a chemical reaction Connection between mass (kg) and resting heart rate across 25 participants Germination rate (%) of seeds grown under 4 different light conditions Distance a car travels over time at constant speed Relationship between fertiliser concentration and plant height Average rainfall for each month of the year in Sydney

Line graph

Bar graph

Scatter plot

Show What You Know

1. What is the key difference between the data type suited to a line graph and the data type suited to a bar graph?

Recall 2 marks

2. List four features that must appear on every graph, regardless of type.

Recall 2 marks

Wrap Up

In one sentence, what was the main idea of this lesson?

HSCScience · Year 8 Science · Unit 4 · Lesson 5 · Foundation Worksheet