How to Spot a Misleading Graph
Area
Math
Duration
1 session
Dimension of the advised group of students
One group of 20-30 people divided in small groups
Specific objectives
- To describe trends
- To recognize misleading information
- To understand mathematical relationships
Needed Materials
- Video
- Photocopies
If the training is organized online one communication platform will be necessary.
Software
- One online communication platform, such us: Zoom, Google Meet, Webex, etc.
- In person, no software is needed.
Description
When people carry out research, they usually gather a great amount of data that is easier
to understand and draw conclusions from if they are organized and represented in graphs.
Graphs make it easier for people to record and show information about any kind of work.
Graphs are also useful to make predictions about things like the weather, interest rates,
and the future cost of our home electricity usage. Information in graphs and tables is often
found in newspapers and pamphlets, so it is necessary that the youth know how to
interpret this kind of information in order to be global citizens.
When they’re used well, graphs can help us intuitively grasp complex data. But as visual
software has enabled more usage of graphs throughout all media, it has also made them
easier to use in a careless or dishonest way — and as it turns out, there are plenty of ways
graphs can mislead and outright manipulate.
Procedure on how to put in practice
Duration: 60 minutes
No of participants: small groups
Methods used: group discussion, collaborative work
Competences developed: critical thinking, logical thinking
Step-by-step description:
1. Watch TED-Ed video about how to spot misleading graphs and complete
comprehension questions in pairs.
2. Discuss in groups: Why might a person trying to persuade you toward their point of
view use a graph to present information? How can graphs present an opinion?
What are methods to “cherry pick data” and which advantages do they provide?
3. Participants put into practice what they learned by analyzing some graphs and
discussing whether they are misleading and how they mislead people.
Debriefing question: Should misleading graphs be put in the same category as “fake
n ews”?
