[Jnderstanding Graphic Hnformation

Haveyou everreadso many factsat oncethat you had trouble graspingthem?A paragraphcontainingmany numbers,for example, could leaveyou wonderingwhat the main point is. Thbles, graphs,and other graphicaidsoften do a betterjob of organizinginformation for you than text.

Tables
Thbles organizeinformation by putting it into categories arranged into columnsand rows.You can reada table from top to bottom in columnsor from left to right across rows.Look at the tablebelow. you needinformation about immigration in the 1980s. Suppose Find the heading1981-1990 at the top of the tableand read down that column. To seehow Asian immigration changed the row from the 1960s throughthe 1980s, readacross Iabeled Asia. the tith tellsyouufiat
kindof infomation the tabh contains

REGIONS

r96r-1970 1971-1980 198r-1990 8 0 1 .3 1 ,6 3 3 .8 1,929.4 91.5 3 7 .3 705,6 2,817.4 3,580.9 1 92.3 41.9

1 , 2 3 8 .6 Europe 445.3 Asia IheAmericas 1 , 5 9 2 .3 Africa 39.3 ' t 9.1 AllOther

Heading along thetop andlabels at $ hft sidehelppu locate the yut need. information Note thatnrnrbets an given in l.O00s" Ih number 705.6thenfiorg meam 705,6d1immi. grants

Graphs

Graphsare usedto showgroupsof numbers.The numbersin a table,in fact, can often be turned into a graph.Two typesof graphs you will seeoften in your schoolworkarebar graphsand circle graphs.Examples of both typesof graphsare shown on the following page.

24.7Undestanding Information 699 Graphic

Bar Gnaphs Eachnumberin a bar graphis represented by a bar. The graphcanhavehorizontal(ieft to right) or vertical(bottom to top) bars.Ttie lengthor heightof the bar indicates the sizeof the number.The bar graphbelowshows someof the same information that the tableon page699shows. Notice how the heightsof the bars allowyou to compare the numberseasily.

thescale at thelefttells what thenumbers mean. It also youto allows measure how much or howmany of something each barstands for.

E .5
E G

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You canquickly seehow immigration haschanged since the 1960s. From whatregion hasthe number of immigrants increased themostsince the1960s?

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I1961-1970 11371-rsSo ll9Sr-tgqt

Circle Graphs In a circlegraph,informationis presented as slices of a "pie."(Circlegraphsaresometimes calledpie charts.)The graphbegins with a circlethat stands for the wholeof something. For example, the wholecirclecouldrepresent the world population.Eachsliceof the circle showsa part of the whole.If the whole circleis the world'simmigrantpopulation,eachslice could showthe immigrantpopulationof one region.

Notice howeasy it isto compare thesizes of the slices. Which tworegions come closest innumbers of immigrants? 700 unit24study skitts

Sincea circle graph showsparts of a whole, the slicesare often marked as percentages. The whole circleis 100 percent-or all.The percentages of all the slices add up to 100 percent.The circlegraph on the previous pageshowsinformation taken from the table on page 699.

Maps
Mapsshowa portion of the earth's surface. Mapscan showa varietyof information.Physical mapsshownaturalfeatures of the earth's surface, suchasriversand mountains. Politicalmapsshowthe boundaries of countries, states, and otherpoliticaldivisions, asweil as cities.Physical and politicalfeatures areoften combinedon a single map.Historicalmapsmay showareas held by particulargroups during a certainperiodin history.Theymay showchanges in boundaries overtime or otherhistoricalinformation.

Ihetitleof themap tells what itssubject is.Ihe titleof a historical map period willtellwhat of history themap shows.

Most maps have a legend, or key, to explain thefeatures they show.Ihis map key explains how colbrs are period used to show each of growth of theRoman Empire.

A map scale you lets measure distances on themap.

24.7 Understanding Graphic Information 7Ol

Diagrams
Has someone evertried to describean unfamiliar object or process you had trouble understanding it until he or shedrew to you?Perhaps a picture.Beingableto lfoot0r picture the parts of an object *\^/ or to picture how the object Crown works can help you understandit. That'swhy we use diagrams. Root Diagramsare picturesthat showa process or show Root canal relationships amongparts of diagrams are Many an object.In somediagrams, cutaways ftat sltw fie inside of eachpart of an object is soncfiingyonwould labeled. A label may include notnomally see. an explanationof what that part doesor how it relates to the whole.Diagramshelp you understand object an much more easilythan if you had a written or spokendescription.

Answerthe following questions about graphicinformation. Which type of graphicaid would bestshowthe areas controlledby Egypt in 1800 n.c.? 2. Which type of graphicaid would bestshowhow the space shuttleworks? 3. Which type of graphicaid would bestshowwhat portion of your total diet is madeup of fruits and vegetables, protein foods,dairy products,grains,and other foods? Which type of graphicaid would bestshowthe amountsof oil imported by the five biggestoil-importing countries? What region contributedthe most immigrants to the United States in the period l98l-1990?Usea graphicaid in this lesson to answer.
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7O2 unit24study skius