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Year 10
AQA

Constructing graphs in geography

I can accurately construct graphs of frequency and proportional data.

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New
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Year 10
AQA

Constructing graphs in geography

I can accurately construct graphs of frequency and proportional data.

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Share activities with pupils
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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. There are many forms of graphical data presentation but not all are appropriate for all types of data.
  2. Frequency data can be presented using bar charts, pictograms and histograms.
  3. Proportional data can be presented using pie charts and percentage bars.

Keywords

  • Discrete data - data that can be arranged into exclusive categories

  • Continuous data - data that sits on a continuum from low to high values

  • Frequency data - data such as counts or the actual amounts of something

  • Proportional data - data that is the relative amount of something when considered as part of a whole

Common misconception

Any form of data presentation can be applied to any data set.

There are many different types of data. Accurate data presentation means that appropriate graphical data presentation techniques are matched with the particular characteristics of a data set.


To help you plan your year 10 geography lesson on: Constructing graphs in geography, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Using a class text book, students can identify different forms of graphical representation of data and comment on the nature of the data itself, such as if the data is discrete or continuous.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
How is quantitative data different to qualitative data?
Correct answer: Quantitative data deals exclusively with numbers.
Quantitative data is easier to present.
Quantitative data is likely to contain more errors.
Quantitative data is subjective.
Q2.
Where would you find the y axis?
Correct answer: Running vertically alongside a graph.
Running horizontally alongside a graph.
Running through the middle of a graph, joining the points.
In the key to a bar chart.
Q3.
Why do geographers like to present data?
Correct answer: To help them identify patterns and trends.
To make their data write-ups look attractive.
To encourage people to read their work.
To show where there are errors in the data.
Q4.
How many degrees are there in a circle?
Correct Answer: 360, three hundred and sixty
Q5.
What is a variable?
Correct answer: Something which can create changes in data.
Something which geographers use to record data.
A piece of data that is found to have human bias.
A piece of data that contradicts all the other pieces of data.
Q6.
Why do geographers give their graphs titles?
Correct answer: To state what the purpose of the graph is.
To make their work look neat.
To show readers what their conclusions are.
To highlight the problems in the data.

Exit quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
What is proportional data?
Correct answer: Data that shows the relative amount of something compared to the whole.
Data that is split into at least eight parts.
Data that shows the actual amount of something.
Data that can be placed into exclusive categories.
Q2.
Which of the following statements is true?
Correct answer: Data presentation methods have to be appropriate for the type of data used.
Data presentation methods can be chosen from a menu of techniques.
Data presentation methods need to look attractive on the page.
Data presentation methods can only show objective data.
Q3.
Every graph should have which of the following?
Correct answer: title
Correct answer: labelled axes
values on both axes
a key
a line of best fit
Q4.
A stacked chart places bars on top of each other to make up 100 percent of the data.
Correct Answer: bar