Visualisation component: charts and graphs

Name:

Date:

Class:

Quick Questions

Shade in the A or B circle for each question.

1. Which is the main job of a chart in a visualisation?

A Replace all the text so the audience has nothing to read

B Turn data into shapes such as bars, lines or slices so patterns can be seen quickly

2. A student wants to show how sales changed each month. Which choice follows the 'one chart per message' idea?

A One line chart that shows monthly sales only

B One chart that mixes monthly sales, staff ages, canteen prices and rainfall

3. Where should a chart be placed in an infographic?

A Next to the text that explains it

B On the opposite side of the page from its explanation

4. True or false: A chart helps viewers spot patterns faster than a long list of numbers.

A False

B True

5. A visualisation has three separate messages: attendance by year level, canteen sales by day and the trend in lost property. What is the best approach?

A Use three charts, one for each message

B Squeeze all three messages into a single chart

Match the Pairs

Draw a line connecting each item on the left to its match on the right.

Left column		Right column
1Chart: monthly sales by store		ABars: Mon=12, Tue=18, Wed=25
2Chart + caption beside it		BOne chart carries one message, so the title states the single point the chart makes
3A chart turns data into shapes such as bars, lines or slices so patterns can be seen quickly		CChart 1: Sales up \| Chart 2: Costs down
4Use one chart per message instead of cramming several messages into one chart		DToo many messages are crammed into one chart, so the pattern is hard to see. Split it into one chart per message.
5One chart showing sales, costs, staff ages, and weather		EA chart placed near its explanation so the viewer reads the shapes and the text together
6Chart at the top of the page, its explanation at the bottom		FThe chart is far from its explanation. Place the chart near the text that explains it.

Definitions

chart

Fill in the Blanks

Complete each line of code by filling in the missing parts.

SET data TO SalesByTerm ADD _____ TYPE "column" DATA data

SET purpose TO "change over time" ADD chart TYPE "____" DATA Months

SET caption1 TO "Sales rose in term 2" PLACE chart1 NEAR ________

SET messages TO 3 SET charts TO ________

SET purpose TO "compare categories" ADD chart TYPE "______" DATA Scores

Spot the Error

Shade in the letter of the line that contains an error.

Question 1

A CHART: pie, sales by year

B MESSAGE: Sales rose each year

C PLACE: beside the TEXT

D TEXT: Sales rose 20% in 2024

Question 2

A MESSAGE: Pets owned by type

B CHART: bar, pets by type

C PLACE: on a different page

D TEXT: Dogs are most common

Question 3

A MESSAGE: Pizza is top seller

B CHART: pie, share of sales

C TEXT: Pizza is 40% of sales

D PLACE: far from the TEXT

Question 4

A MESSAGE: Rain peaks in June

B CHART: column, rain by month

C CHARTS: 5 for this message

D TEXT: June was the wettest

Question 5

A MESSAGE: Height vs shoe size

B TEXT: Taller means bigger feet

C PLACE: beside the TEXT

D CHART: pie, height, shoe

Answer Key

Visualisation component: charts and graphs

Section A: Quick Questions

B — Turn data into shapes such as bars, lines or slices so patterns can be seen quickly

A — One line chart that shows monthly sales only

A — Next to the text that explains it

B — True

A — Use three charts, one for each message

Section B: Match the Pairs

Chart: monthly sales by store → One chart carries one message, so the title states the single point the chart makes

Chart + caption beside it → A chart placed near its explanation so the viewer reads the shapes and the text together

A chart turns data into shapes such as bars, lines or slices so patterns can be seen quickly → Bars: Mon=12, Tue=18, Wed=25

Use one chart per message instead of cramming several messages into one chart → Chart 1: Sales up | Chart 2: Costs down

One chart showing sales, costs, staff ages, and weather → Too many messages are crammed into one chart, so the pattern is hard to see. Split it into one chart per message.

Chart at the top of the page, its explanation at the bottom → The chart is far from its explanation. Place the chart near the text that explains it.

Section C: Definitions

chart — A visualisation component that turns data into shapes such as bars, lines or slices so patterns can be seen quickly. Use one chart per message and place it near its explanation.

Section D: Fill in the Blanks

SET data TO SalesByTerm
ADD chart TYPE "column" DATA data

SET purpose TO "change over time"
ADD chart TYPE "line" DATA Months

SET caption1 TO "Sales rose in term 2"
PLACE chart1 NEAR caption1

SET messages TO 3
SET charts TO messages

SET purpose TO "compare categories"
ADD chart TYPE "column" DATA Scores

Section E: Spot the Error

A — A pie chart shows parts of a whole, not change over time. To show sales rising each year, use a line chart: CHART: line, sales by year.

C — A chart should sit near its explanation so the reader can link them. It should read PLACE: beside the explanation, not on a different page.

D — Placing the chart far from its text makes the reader hunt for the link. The chart should be placed beside the TEXT.

C — Use one chart per message. Five charts for one message clutters the visualisation. It should be CHARTS: 1 for this message.

D — A pie chart cannot show how two measurements relate. A scatter graph is the right chart for height against shoe size.