Bar graph template (free printable, blank)
A blank bar graph with a numbered scale, a space under each bar for its label, and lines for the title and what the graph tells us. Choose the number of bars and the top of the scale.
To save a PDF, choose Print, then “Save as PDF” as the printer. Only the sheet prints.
About this sheet
Making a graph teaches more than reading one, because the student has to decide the scale, the labels and the title, and those decisions are where the understanding is. This template draws the frame and leaves the choices to the student. The scale on the side counts up to the number you set, in steps of one, two or five, depending on how high it goes, and the bars are drawn between the vertical lines. Each bar has a line beneath it for a label, and there is a place for the axis label and the title. At the bottom is a question, What does the graph tell us?, which is where a graph becomes a statement. Use it for class surveys, weather counts and science data.
Grades: 1 to 6. Best in: September, October, November, January, April.
How to use it
- Choose the number of bars and the highest number on the scale. Pick a scale that is just above your biggest count.
- Print a template for each student or pair. Collect data, such as favorite fruit, and have students write each label under a bar.
- Students color the bars up to each count, write a title, name the axis and answer the question at the foot.
Five ideas for class
- Survey the class on a simple question and graph the answers together on the board before students graph on paper.
- Give the same data and two different scales, and discuss how the graph looks with a scale to ten and one to fifty.
- Graph the weather each day for a month, with one bar for sunny, cloudy, rainy and snowy, and discuss the totals.
- Ask students to write three true statements from the graph, such as which is most and how many more than the least.
- Use it in science to graph the results of an experiment, such as how far a car rolls with different ramps.
Related
Questions
How do I choose the scale?
Set the top number a little above the largest count. For counts up to ten the scale goes up by ones, up to twenty-four by twos and beyond that by fives.
Can students graph two sets of data?
Use a bar for each of two groups next to each other, with a different color for each, and add a key beside the title.
Is there a line graph version?
Not yet. For line graphs and scatter plots, use the graph paper pages and have students draw the axes and scale.
How do I save it as a PDF?
Choose Print, then pick “Save as PDF” as the printer. Only the sheet prints: the page around it is hidden. You can also save a sheet as a PNG image under the preview.
Can I print it in black and white?
Yes. Switch to Black and white beside the sheet: fills turn white and lines turn black, so it saves ink and photocopies cleanly.
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