Concepts 

A line graph shows how a set of data changes over a period of time. 

Rules

To create a line graph:
1. decide on a scale and interval
2. graph pairs of data
3. draw a line to connect each point.

To read a line graph:
1. Look at the axes to understand what the chart is showing.
2. Examine the chart to see the values of the points in the lines. 
3. Follow the lines and see if there are any trends, sudden rises or falls, repeating patterns, or places where lines cross each other. 

Example

The line graph below displays the total number of pages of a novel, students in 6 grade read each day of a week. What were the most pages they read in one day?

Solution

1. Find the day of the week that is the highest point of the graph.
2. Read the number associated with that point.

The most pages read on a given day of in a week were 38 pages.

Prerequisite Skills

Reading graphs