- Definition
A scatter graph uses dots to show if two different things are related, like if taller kids also tend to be heavier.
A scatter graph could plot each country's literacy rate and average income to see if higher income is related to higher literacy.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: A scatter graph is like tracking how many hours you sleep each night and how energetic you feel the next day to see if more sleep means more energy.
Ask your child: If we tracked a city's population and its number of parks, what might we see?
Common mix-up: Kids may think you should connect the dots like on a line graph. The real goal is to look at the whole cloud of points to see if they form a pattern or trend.
Examples
- Plotting a city's population against its number of public transit routes to see if they are related.
- Showing the relationship between a region's annual rainfall and its major crop yield.
scatter graph is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
