Dot Plot Basics
What is a dot plot used for?
To show data using dots.
A dot plot shows how many pets students have. What could one dot above "3" mean?
One student has 3 pets.
What's the first step in making a dot plot?
Collect and organize the data.
What do we call the numbers along the bottom of a dot plot?
Labels and categories.
A dot plot shows scores from a test. What might you learn from the plot?
You can see who did well and how many got each score.
What does each dot represent in a dot plot?
One piece of data.
If a dot plot shows favorite ice cream flavors, what does the tallest stack of dots show?
The most popular flavor.
What tool do you use to make straight lines and labels?
A ruler.
What is another name for "data point"?
Dot or mark.
If 3 students were absent, how would that affect the dot plot?
Fewer dots on the plot.
True or False: A dot plot can only show numbers.
False.
Why might a teacher make a dot plot of test scores?
To see how the class performed.
If 5 people chose "Red" as their favorite color, how many dots go above "Red"?
5 dots.
What does "frequency" mean in a dot plot?
How many times something happens.
A dot plot shows only the numbers 1–3, but someone scored a 5. What should you do?
Add a new column for 5.
What do you need before you can make a dot plot?
A set of data.
A dot plot shows how many books kids read in a month. What can it tell you?
Who reads the most and how many kids read each amount.
Why should you space your numbers evenly on the bottom line?
So it's clear and easy to read.
What does "mode" mean?
The number that appears most often.
How would you explain a dot plot to someone who’s never seen one before?
It’s a chart with dots showing how often things happen.
Why might someone use a dot plot instead of a bar graph?
It's simpler and shows individual data points.
You survey 10 people on how many hours they watch TV. How could a dot plot help?
It shows how screen time compares between people.
Create a dot plot using this data: 2, 2, 3, 3, 4.
2: ●●
3: ●●●
4: ●
What is the difference between a dot plot and a line plot?
Dot plots use dots; line plots may use X's or symbols.
Make a dot plot from this data and find the mode: 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 4, 4.
1: ●
2: ●●●
3: ●
4: ●●
Mode = 2