Charts and Graphs (Showing Data in Pictures)

Do you ever have a big pile of colorful blocks. What if you wanted to show your friend which color you have the most of, without counting every single one. That’s where I come in. I turn big piles of numbers and ideas into a simple picture. I can look like colorful towers standing side-by-side, or a yummy pizza cut into slices. I help you see the answer with just your eyes. I am Charts and Graphs.

Long, long ago, people only had long lists of numbers, which could be very confusing. But then, in the year 1786, a clever man named William Playfair drew me for the first time in a book. He made me look like tall bars to show how things grew or shrank. A little later, in 1801, he made me look like a circle, or a pie, to show all the parts of one big thing. Then, in the 1850s, a very kind nurse named Florence Nightingale used me to help people. She used a special circle picture to show doctors how to keep soldiers healthy. My picture helped save so many lives.

Today, I'm everywhere and I love to help. I can show you if it will be sunny or rainy this week. I can show you who is winning a race or which snack is the favorite in your class. I take tricky numbers and turn them into a picture story that's easy to understand. The next time you see a colorful chart, you’ll know I’m there, helping you see a whole story in one quick peek.