Bar Graphs Teaching Resources
Teach about bar graphs in your classroom with printable worksheets, creating a bar graph task cards and activities and more for teaching this math concept in the elementary classroom.
Explore editable resources you can easily differentiate for individual learners, plus math center activities and engaging games to help students visually represent data.
This collection of Common Core curriculum-aligned printable and digital resources has been created just for teachers by the teachers on the Teach Starter team. That means each resource has undergone an in-depth review before publication to ensure it's ready for the classroom and your lesson plans!
New to teaching this section of the math curriculum? Read on for a guide to bar graphs from our teacher team!
What Are Bar Graphs? A Kid-Friendly Definition
How do you explain what a bar graph is when you're just diving in? Here's a simple definition for your students, plus definitions of some key vocabulary terms!
A bar graph is a graph that uses bars or rectangles to represent data. Each bar in the graph represents a category or group, and the height or length of the bar represents the quantity or value of that category.
A bar graph is also sometimes called a column graph.
Bar
If you have a bar graph, you have bars. But what's a bar? This is the rectangular shape that represents the quantity or value of a category. The height or length of the bar indicates the amount of data for that category.
Axis
The axis is a key term to learn as students start with graphing — it will come in handy as they move on to more complex math! This is the line that runs along the bottom or side of the graph. It's used to label the different categories or groups represented in the graph.
Title
Just like the title of a book, the title is the name of the graph, which usually describes what the graph is showing or what question it is answering.
Bar Graph Examples
Countless data sets can be represented on a bar graph, so it only stands to reason that there are different types to represent data in different ways! Here are some of the common bar graph examples that can be used:
Double Bar Graph
A double bar graph is a way to show two sets of data side by side and often used in math classes for comparing two different sets of data directly. For example, a double bar graph might be used to compare the number of boys and girls in different grade levels.
The bars of this type of graph are typically colored differently or patterned to indicate the data set they represent.
Stacked Bar Graph
Another common type of graph students will use is a stacked bar graph. This is a type of bar graph where the bars are divided into segments, each representing a different part of the data being displayed.
In this graph, segments are stacked on top of each other to create a complete bar, with the height or length of each segment representing the quantity or value of that part of the data.
Stacked bar graphs show how different parts of the data contribute to the total value. For example, a stacked bar graph could show the different types of expenses that make up a household budget.
Segmented Bar Graph
Although stacked bar graphs are segmented, they're not the same as segmented bar graphs!
Each bar in a segmented bar graph is divided into segments that represent different sub-categories of the data being displayed, making them useful for showing how data is distributed within each category. For example, a segmented bar graph could be used to show the different types of animals in a zoo, with each bar representing a different section and each segment representing a different type of animal.
Each segment in this type of graph is colored differently or patterned to make it clear which sub-category it represents.
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Count and Graph – In the Classroom
Practice collecting, sorting, and organizing data to create a graph with this 2-page worksheet.
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Spin, Tally, Graph and Interpret Data – Task Card Activity
Guide your students to collect data, make tally marks, create a bar graph and analyze data with this math activity designed for 1st and 2nd-grade students.
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Bar Graphs Worksheet
Use this double-sided bar graphs worksheet to check your students’ understanding of interpreting and drawing bar graphs.
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Analyzing Graphs — Scaled Bar Graphs, Pictographs, & Dot Plots —Task Cards
Use data analysis skills to analyze scaled bar graphs, pictographs, and dot plots with this set of task cards.
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Analyzing Graphs (Single-Unit Intervals) – Board Game
Use this board game to sharpen data analysis skills when solving problems with information presented in a single-unit picture graph and bar graph.
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Analyzing Graphs – Single-Unit Bar Graphs & Pictographs – Task Cards
Use data analysis skills to analyze bar graphs and pictographs with this set of task cards.
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Sports Day Dilemma - Metric Conversions Math Task
Engage students with a real-world application of measurement conversions with Sports Day Dilemma, a metric conversion math task!
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Data Collection Worksheet Set
Use this set of differentiated graphs worksheets to assess your students’ understanding of how data is collected, organized and presented.
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Interpreting Graphs Task Cards
Use this set of task cards students to practice interpreting bar graphs, histograms and line plots.
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Pictograph Puzzles
Practice reading and interpreting pictographs with these fun puzzles which require students to match pictographs with other data displays with matching data.
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Creating a Bar Graph – Worksheet
Interpret data and create bar graphs with this worksheet.
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Interpreting a Bar Graph – Worksheet
Interpret information from a bar graph and answer questions with this worksheet.
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Analyzing Graphs (Scaled Intervals) – Board Game
Use this board game to sharpen data analysis skills when solving problems with information presented in a scaled picture graph and bar graph.
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Bar Graphs – Instructional Slide Deck
Learn about the features and how to create a bar graph with this 25-page instructional slide deck.
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Draw a Bar Graph and Pictograph Task Cards (Single-Unit Intervals)
Practice drawing single-unit bar graphs and pictographs with this set of task cards.
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Draw a Bar Graph and Pictograph (Scaled Intervals) – Task Cards
Practice drawing scaled bar graphs and pictographs with this set of task cards.
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Pictograph and Bar Graph Match-Up (Single-Unit Intervals)
Use data analysis skills to match frequency tables with a corresponding bar graph or pictograph.
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Pictograph, Bar Graph, & Dot Plot Match-Up (Scaled Intervals)
Use data analysis skills to match tally charts and frequency tables with their corresponding bar graph, pictograph, or dot plot.
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Graph It! Worksheet (Single-Unit Intervals)
Draw a single-unit picture graph and bar graph to represent data with this worksheet.
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Graph It! Worksheet (Scaled Intervals)
Draw a scaled picture graph and bar graph to represent data with this worksheet.
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Fall Count and Graph Worksheet
Practice counting and graphing with a Fall-themed count and graph worksheet.
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Constitution Day Count and Graph Worksheet
Practice counting and graphing with a Constitution Day themed worksheet.
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Veterans Day Count and Graph Worksheet
Practice counting and graphing with a Veteran’s Day worksheet.
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Flag Day Count and Graph Worksheet
Practice counting objects with a Flag Day count and graph worksheet.
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Columbus Day Count and Graph Worksheet
Practice counting objects with a Columbus Day count and graph worksheet.
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Halloween Count and Graph Worksheet
Practice counting objects with a Halloween count and graph worksheet.
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Count and Graph – New Year's Edition
Celebrate the new year by counting festive images and notating their totals as a bar graph.
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Count and Graph – The Picnic
Practice collecting, sorting, and organizing data to create a graph with this 2-page worksheet.
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Count and Graph – At the Beach
Practice collecting, sorting, and organizing data to create a graph with this 2-page worksheet.
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Count and Graph – Fruity Treats
Practice collecting, sorting, and organizing data to create a graph with this 2-page worksheet.
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Cloud Graphing Activity
A worksheet to use when graphing cloud observations.