Dot plots — Data, 7–10 years
A dot plot puts one dot above each result, so a group of results can be seen on a number line.
One dot for one result
A dot plot shows numbers along a line and places one dot above a number whenever that result appears. If several people get the same result, the dots make a stack. You can see both the individual results and the groups at a glance.
Why use dots?
A list of results can be hard to scan when the same number appears many times. A dot plot keeps every result but lines equal ones up, making clusters, gaps and the spread easier to notice. It solves the problem of seeing the shape of a small data set quickly.
A dot plot for scores
Five children score 2, 4, 4, 5 and 7 points. Draw a number line marked 2 to 7. Put one dot above 2, two dots above 4, one above 5 and one above 7. The tallest stack is at 4, and there are no results at 3 or 6.
Do not count columns as results
It is easy to count one tall column as one result because the dots touch and look like a single mark. But each dot represents one person or one measurement. Count every dot when finding how many results there are, even when many dots share a number.
Where dot plots help
A class can use a dot plot to show how many pages each person read, how long journeys took, or how many goals were scored. It is most useful when there are not too many results and the values fit on a number line. It keeps the real results visible instead of hiding them in one total.
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