Skill: Create pictographs

A pictograph uses the same symbol to show amounts of data.

Example: A class recorded its favorite fruits:

• Apples: $6$ students
• Bananas: $4$ students
• Oranges: $8$ students

Step 1: Choose a key

Choose a number that each symbol will represent. Let:

$$\text{●} = 2\text{ students}$$

Step 2: Find the number of symbols for each category

Divide each total by $2$:

• Apples: $(6 \div 2 = 3)$ symbols
• Bananas: $(4 \div 2 = 2)$ symbols
• Oranges: $(8 \div 2 = 4)$ symbols

Step 3: Make the pictograph

Favorite Fruits

Key: ● $(= 2)$ students

Fruit	Students
Apples	● ● ●
Bananas	● ●
Oranges	● ● ● ●

Each symbol is worth $2$ students. For example, the $3$ apple symbols show:

$$3 \times 2 = 6\text{ students}$$

Check that every category has the correct number of equal-sized symbols and that the title and key are included.