Picture This: Using Graphs to Illustrate Crash Science Data
NOTE: We are field-testing this lesson, which was written by Linda Cronin-Jones, Ph.D. and accompanies the “Teen Driving” content on this site. Please share your thoughts on our Feedback page.
Student Directions
This is a teacher-directed lesson. Please follow your teacher’s instructions to complete this lesson.
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Bar graph: a graphical representation of discrete categories of data using bars of equal widths and varying heights or lengths.
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Histogram: a graphical representation of continuous numerical data with bars that touch each other to indicate the data’s continuity.
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Pie graph: a circular graphical representation illustrating numerical proportions of subsets of data within a given data set (parts of a whole).
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Point of impact: the area of a vehicle that first collides with another vehicle (or other object such as a barrier) in a crash.
About
This lesson focuses on how to use real-world crash data to construct and interpret three of the most commonly used types of graphic representations of data: pie graphs, bar graphs, and histograms.
Students
Student Directions
This is a teacher-directed lesson. Please follow your teacher’s instructions to complete this lesson.
Vocabulary
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Bar graph: a graphical representation of discrete categories of data using bars of equal widths and varying heights or lengths.
-
Histogram: a graphical representation of continuous numerical data with bars that touch each other to indicate the data’s continuity.
-
Pie graph: a circular graphical representation illustrating numerical proportions of subsets of data within a given data set (parts of a whole).
-
Point of impact: the area of a vehicle that first collides with another vehicle (or other object such as a barrier) in a crash.