Computing · Stage 5

The Misleading Chart

Programs & Judgement · data — spot a chart that tricks the eye: a scale that does not start at zero, steps that skip unevenly, or a picture blown up so its area lies about the real numbers

✦ Computing📘 Stage 5 · S5⏱ ~10 min🧒 Ages 9–10★ Free to start

I can spot a chart that tricks the eye.

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Kavi Spots the Sneaky Chart

Kavi stopped at a juice stand's poster. "Our juice wins — look how our bar towers over the rest!" it bragged. Kavi squinted at the tiny numbers: 52 cups for them, 50 for the next stand. "That's barely any more," Kavi hooted. Then Kavi spotted it — the bottom of the chart started at 48, not zero. "A chopped scale makes a tiny lead look huge," Kavi grinned. "A chart can trick your eye — so I always check the scale, the steps and the labels before I believe it."

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What your child will learn

1How a chart can fool youA chart should show the real numbers fairly. A misleading chart makes them look bigger, smaller, or closer than they really are. Tap each trick to hear how it fools your eye.

2Where does the scale start?Class A read 52 books and Class B read 50 — almost the same. The SAME two numbers look completely different depending on where the bottom of the scale starts. Tap each chart to compare.

3Which chart tricks the eye?Read the numbers first, then look at how each chart draws them. Predict which chart is misleading, then reveal.

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A peek inside

A bar chart shows Class A with a bar that looks twice as tall as Class B. The numbers say Class A read 52 books and Class B read 50. Did Class A really read twice as many?

52 and 50 are almost the same — a bar can only look twice as tall if the scale was chopped

Try this at home: A chart that makes the real numbers look different from what they are is called a ____ chart.

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Start the free interactive lesson, or print the handout for screen-free play.

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Part of Computing · Stage 5 · S5 on KAVI Academy — a secular, whole-child learning platform for ages 5–12.