4.3 Creating Charts and Graphs
CHARTSand GRAPHSare visual representations of information. (See Skillbuilders
3.5, Interpreting Charts, and 3.6, Interpreting Graphs.) Three types of graphs are
BAR GRAPHS, LINE GRAPHS,and PIE GRAPHS.Use a line graph to show changes
over time, or trends. Use a pie graph to show relative proportions. Use a bar graph
to display and compare information about quantities. Use a CHARTto organize,
simplify, and summarize information.Understanding the Skill
STRATEGY: CREATE A BAR GRAPH.Choose the information that you wish to
compare. After reading the following paragraph, a student created the bar graph
below to compare population shifts in three European cities.STRATEGY: ORGANIZE THE DATA.Be consistent in how you present similar
kinds of information.Applying the Skill
CREATE A BAR GRAPH.Turn to Chapter 23, page 670. Study the map “Napoleon’s
Russian Campaign, 1812.” Use the information to create a bar graph showing the
number of soldiers in Napoleon’s army from June 1812 to December 6, 1812. Label
the vertical axis Soldiers (in thousands) and show the grid in increments of 100,
beginning with 0 and ending with 500. Provide a bar for each of the following dates:
June 1812, September 7, 1812, November 1812, and December 6, 1812. Label each
bar with the number of soldiers. Add a title. Be sure to read carefully the information
in the boxes on the chart for each date you include in your graph.Use a title that sums up the information.Clearly label vertical and horizontal axes.
Use the vertical axis to show increasing quantities.
Label the horizontal axis with what is being compared.Add a legend to indicate the meaning of any
colors or symbols.3
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R32 SKILLBUILDERHANDBOOK
Section 4:Creating Presentations
Population Shifts
The decline of the Roman Empire led to major population shifts. As Roman centers of trade and
government collapsed, nobles retreated to the rural areas. Roman cities were left without strong lead-
ership. The population of Rome dropped from 350,000 in A.D. 100 to 50,000 in A.D. 900. During
the same period, other cities in the empire experienced similar declines. For example, the population
of Trier, Germany, dropped from 100,000 to around 13,000. The population of Lyon, France, experi-
enced an even greater decline, dropping from 100,000 to approximately 12,000.050100150200250300350Population(in thousands)Rome Lyon
(in France)Trier
(in Germany)
City Populations around A.D. 100
City Populations around A.D. 900(^1) Population of Three Roman Cities