Lesson 3: Pie Charts and Percentages

About 30 minutes — Activity-based lesson

What You Will Learn

This lesson covers:

What a pie chart shows: parts of a whole
Reading percentages: what they mean and how slices relate
When pie charts work well and when they do not
Activity: create a pie chart of how you spend a typical school day

What a pie chart shows: parts of a whole

This section covers the key ideas about what a pie chart shows: parts of a whole. Discuss with your group or family and explore the concepts together.

Reading percentages: what they mean and how slices relate

This section covers the key ideas about reading percentages: what they mean and how slices relate. Discuss with your group or family and explore the concepts together.

When pie charts work well and when they do not

This section covers the key ideas about when pie charts work well and when they do not. Discuss with your group or family and explore the concepts together.

Activity: create a pie chart of how you spend a typical school day

This section covers the key ideas about activity: create a pie chart of how you spend a typical school day. Discuss with your group or family and explore the concepts together.

Check Your Understanding

1. What does a pie chart show?

Answer: How a whole is divided into parts. Each slice represents a portion of the total. All slices together always equal 100%.

2. When do pie charts work well?

Answer: When you have 2-6 categories and want to show how each part relates to the whole. They are great for things like 'how I spend my day' or 'class vote results.'

3. When should you NOT use a pie chart?

Answer: When you have too many categories (7+), when slices are similar sizes (hard to compare), or when you want to show change over time (use line graph instead).

4. What do percentages mean in a pie chart?

Answer: Each percentage tells you what fraction of the total that slice represents. 25% means one quarter. 50% means half. All percentages must add up to 100%.

Key Takeaways

What a pie chart shows: parts of a whole
Reading percentages: what they mean and how slices relate
When pie charts work well and when they do not
Activity: create a pie chart of how you spend a typical school day

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Continue to Lesson 4: The Graph Reading Challenge

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