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Constructing time series graphs

I can construct time series graphs.

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New
New

Constructing time series graphs

I can construct time series graphs.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Time series graphs are a visual representation
  2. Time series graphs plot frequency over time
  3. Consecutive points are joined by straight line segments

Keywords

  • Time series graph - Time series graphs show data over a time period. The time period is always shown on the x-axis. Data points are joined chronologically by line segments.

Common misconception

Time series graphs always use years as the time interval.

The time interval used in a time series graph depends on what the graph is intended to show.

Pupils could explore time series graphs on the internet or in the media and consider what time intervals they use (e.g. monthly, quarterly, etc). They could then discuss why the dataset may have chosen that particular time interval over other options.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
__________ is the mathematical term for a data point that is extremely large or small compared to the rest of the dataset.
An anomaly
Correct answer: An outlier
A trend
A variable
Q2.
Which of these points are not outliers?
An image in a quiz
A
B
Correct answer: C
D
Correct answer: E
Q3.
Lucas says that he has a dataset with no outliers. Could Lucas be correct?
No, all datasets will have a lowest value.
No, there will always be a datapoint that is higher than the rest.
Yes, all data points will always cluster.
Correct answer: Yes, there may be no points that are far away from the main cluster of data.
Yes, not every dataset has errors in it.
Q4.
The scatter graph shows information about population and number of cars in a set of towns. Each point represents a town. Match each outlier to the correct statement.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer:A,town with a low population and many cars

town with a low population and many cars

Correct Answer:B,town with a high population and many cars

town with a high population and many cars

Correct Answer:C,town with a high population and few cars

town with a high population and few cars

Correct Answer:D,town with a low population and few cars

town with a low population and few cars

Q5.
Izzy says you should always ignore an outlier. Is Izzy correct?
Yes, if a data point is extremely small then it must be an error.
No, an outlier is just an unusual result in the data.
Correct answer: It depends, you should investigate each outlier carefully.
Q6.
Andeep says you should not show the outlier on a scatter graph. Is Andeep correct?
Yes, outliers are always too far from the rest of the data to show.
Correct answer: Yes, you may need to zoom in on the graph to use interpolation.
No, otherwise the scatter graph is wrong.
Correct answer: No, the outlier may help highlight useful information.
Correct answer: Yes, removing it can make the trend of the data easier to see.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
A graph is used to show data over a time period.
Correct Answer: time series, time-series
Q2.
Izzy records how many birds appear in her garden over the course of a day. Here is her time-series graph. Izzy should label the horizontal axis . (Do not include units in your answer).
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: time
Q3.
A point on this axis has been labelled $$p$$. The value of $$p$$ is .
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: 48, Forty eight, Forty-eight
Q4.
Jun plots a time series graph using time intervals that are regular and quarterly. The first month on his graph is April, the next quarter starts with the month of .
Correct Answer: July
Q5.
The time-series graph shows information about internet connection in Great Britain in households with 1 adult aged over 65. In 2015, approximately % of households have internet access.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: 50, 49
Q6.
The time series graph to show the temperatures in Sheffield between 2012 and 2019. In how many quarters does the mean maximum temperature reach over 20°C ? quarters.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: 5, five

Lesson appears in

UnitMaths / Graphical representations of data: scatter graphs and time series

Maths

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