Step by step
The question
Question: draw a bar chart of cats 12, dogs 17 and fish 6.
How many more dogs than fish?
cats 12, dogs 17, fish 6
1 Draw the axes
The names go along the bottom.
The numbers go up the side.
The biggest number is 17.
So the side counts in 2s, starting at 0.
Each line on the side is 2 more.
1 line = 2
2 Draw the bars
Cats: 12.
Its bar goes up to 12 on the side.
Dogs: 17.
17 is between 16 and 18.
Fish: 6.
All the bars have the same width, with gaps between them.
3 Read the chart
Careful!
The side counts in 2s.
So read the number on the side, not how many squares.
Careful: read the side, not the squares
Dogs reaches 17.
Fish reaches 6.
How many more: we take away.
17 minus 6.
= dogs − fish = 17 − 6
17 minus 6 is 11.
So there are 11 more dogs than fish.
= dogs − fish = 11
4 Check
Let's check: 6 plus 11 is 17.
So it is right!
6 + 11 = 17
Let's look back.
First: draw the axes.
Then: draw the bars.
Then: read the chart.
Last: check.
Answer
= dogs − fish = 11