K-5 friendly lesson
One small step at a time.Read the idea, try the activity, and celebrate each win as you go.

Create Line Plots

✖️ X marks the spot! A line plot is a super fast way to organize numbers by drawing X's above a number line. It looks like a city skyline of X's!

Do this: Read the concept below, then try the quiz or activity.

Lesson 93 of 186

Concept

Imagine you measure the height of 10 different plants. Creating a line plot is a fast way to see which height is the most popular.

🎯 How to Build a Line Plot:
1. The Data: You have a list of numbers: 3, 4, 3, 5, 3.
2. The Number Line: Draw a straight horizontal line. Put numbers on the bottom: ( 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 ).
3. Stack the X's!
   * Look at the data. The first number is 3. Draw an "X" above the number 3 on the line.
   * Next number is 4. Draw an "X" above the 4.
   * Next number is 3 again! Draw another "X" *directly on top* of the first X above the number 3. It's building a tower!
   * Finish the list.

The tallest tower of X's is the most popular number!

Try it

Build the X city skyline!

Instructions: Look at the data and count how tall the tower of X's should be for each number!

The Data: Kids in a classroom were asked how many pets they have: (0, 1, 2, 1, 1, 3, 0)

Problem 1: How many X's should be stacked above the number "0" (zero pets)? * Look at the data. I see a 0, and another 0. That's two of them! * Answer: ___ X's.

Problem 2: How many X's should be stacked in the tower above the number "1"? * Answer: ___ X's.

Problem 3: How many X's should be above the number "2"? * Answer: ___ X's.

Problem 4: Which number in the line plot has the tallest tower of X's? * Answer: number ___