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8th grade · Social Studies · Unit 6 of 12

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.

Arizona Academic Standards learning standard: 8.G1.1 · using maps and graphs to study issues

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Use the map scale: multiply the map distance by what 1 cm stands for.
  2. A choropleth map shades areas to show a rate or density, such as people per square kilometer.
  3. 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 Arizona

In the Arizona Academic Standards, this is unit 6 of 12 in 8th grade Social Studies, after Sources & Evidence and before Elections & Voting.

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.

Source: Arizona Department of Education

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    On a map, 1 cm represents 10 km. A lake is 80 km long. How long is it on the map, in cm?

    answer boxcm

  2. Question 2

    On a scatter graph, which axis usually shows the variable that might influence the other?

    • the legend
    • neither axis
    • the horizontal (x) axis
    • the title

  3. Question 3

    Which statement about correlation is correct?

    • A correlation always proves a cause.
    • A correlation shows a link between two measures but does not prove that one causes the other.
    • A correlation means the data is wrong.
    • A correlation only works with maps.

  4. Question 4

    A scatter graph shows the points rising from left to right. What does this show?

    • no data
    • a mistake
    • a negative correlation
    • a positive correlation: as one value rises, the other tends to rise

  5. Question 5

    The graph shows made-up data. Which description fits this population?

    Share of population by age (%)
    0102030405060700–1415–6465+
    • an older population with a low birth rate
    • a very young population with a high birth rate
    • no older people
    • all children

  6. Question 6

    GIS stands for…

    • ground inventory survey
    • geographic information system
    • global income score
    • great island system

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