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3rd grade

Course: 3rd grade > Unit 14

Lesson 3: Line plots with fractions
Math
3rd grade
Represent and interpret data
Line plots with fractions
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Line plots review

Google Classroom
Review the basics of lines plots and then practice creating and reading line plots.

What are line plots?

A line plot is a way to display data along a number line.
Line plots are also called dot plots.
Below is an example of a line plot showing the distance 17 turtles traveled in an hour (we know it is 17 turtles because there are 17 dots on the line plot).
The 3 dots above 21 mean that 3 turtles traveled a distance of 21 meters in an hour.
A line plot labeled distance (meters) shows, moving left to right, labeled tick marks at 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, and 27. Dots are plotted as follows: 3 dots above 21, 2 dots above 23, 4 dots above 24, 4 dots above 25, 1 dot above 26, and 3 dots above 27.
Want to learn more about line plots? Check out this video.

Graphing data on line plots

To graph data on a line plot, we put a dot (or an X) above each number in the data set. If a number appears twice in the data, we put two dots above that number.
For example, a graph of the data set 4,5,5,6 would look like this:
A line plot shows, moving left to right, labeled tick marks at 4, 5, and 6. Dots are plotted as follows: 1 dot above 4, 2 dots above 5, and 1 dot above 6.
Want to learn more about graphing data on line plots? Check out this video.

Practice set 1: Reading line plots

Problem 1A
The lengths of alien arms are shown below.
How many alien arms are longer than 96 centimeters?
  • Your answer should be
  • an integer, like 6
  • an exact decimal, like 0.75
  • a simplified proper fraction, like 3/5
  • a simplified improper fraction, like 7/4
  • a mixed number, like 1 3/4
alien arms
A line plot labeled length (centimeters) shows, moving left to right, labeled tick marks at 95, 96, 97, 98, and 99. Dots are plotted as follows: 4 dots above 95, 3 dots above 96, 2 dots above 97, 2 dots above 98, and 2 dots above 99.

Want to try more problems like this? Check out this exercise.

Practice set 2: Graphing data on line plots

Problem 2A
5 friends made new necklaces.
The lengths were 52, 51, 52, 54, and 52 centimeters.
Five necklaces, three of which appear to be the same length.
Make a line plot of the lengths.

Want to try more problems like this? Check out these exercises: Make line plots
Graph data on line plots.

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