8th grade · Social Studies · Unit 9 of 9
Maps, Graphs & Data
Choropleth maps, scatter graphs and pyramids
What your child practices
Reading map scales and legends, choropleth maps, scatter graphs and correlation (and why correlation does not prove cause), and what population pyramids say about a country's age and growth. The data in the questions are made up for practice.
Alaska content standards learning standard: SS.8.1.16.3 · using maps, graphs and the five themes of geography
How we explain it
Children can open this short lesson before they practice.
- Use the map scale: multiply the map distance by what 1 cm stands for.
- A choropleth map shades areas to show a rate or density, such as people per square kilometer.
- On a scatter graph, look for a trend: as one value rises, does the other rise or fall?
Example: On a map, 1 cm represents 25 km. Two cities are 3 cm apart. How far apart are they? Each centimeter is 25 km. 3 × 25 = 75. Answer: 75 km
Maps, Graphs & Data in Alaska
In the Alaska content standards, this is unit 9 of 9 in 8th grade Social Studies, after Sources & Evidence.
Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.
- 8th grade guide for Alaska parents
- Printable 8th grade Social Studies sheet
- Alaska report cards explained
Source: Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
The table shows made-up data. What does it suggest about infant mortality and life expectancy?
Made-up data for five countries Country Infant deaths per 1000 births Life expectancy (years) F 3 83 G 12 77 H 30 69 I 55 62 J 80 56 - As infant mortality rises, life expectancy tends to rise.
- As infant mortality rises, life expectancy tends to fall.
- Both rise together.
- There is no pattern.
As infant mortality rises, life expectancy tends to fall.
Hint: Compare the columns: higher infant mortality goes with lower life expectancy.
Question 2
On a map, 1 cm represents 2 km. Two towns are 3 cm apart on the map. How far apart are they in real life, in km?
answer boxkm
6 km
Hint: Multiply the map distance by the scale.
Question 3
Which describes the made-up data below?
Made-up data for five countries Country Number of airports Literacy rate (%) K 10 90 L 20 60 M 30 95 N 40 50 O 50 85 - a strong positive correlation
- a perfect correlation
- a strong negative correlation
- no clear correlation
no clear correlation
Hint: The second column goes up and down while the first rises, so there is no clear pattern.
Question 4
On a map, 1 cm stands for 5 km. What is this called?
- the legend
- the border
- the scale
- the title
the scale
Hint: A scale links map distance to real distance.
Question 5
The graph shows made-up data. Which description fits this population?
Share of population by age (%) - an older population with a low birth rate
- no older people
- a very young population with a high birth rate
- all children
an older population with a low birth rate
Hint: A large share aged 65 and older and a smaller share of children shows an aging population.
Question 6
A scatter graph shows the points rising from left to right. What does this show?
- a negative correlation
- a mistake
- a positive correlation: as one value rises, the other tends to rise
- no data
a positive correlation: as one value rises, the other tends to rise
Hint: A line of best fit would slope upward.