Session 1: Practice Activities
Time to Practice!
6 activities to reinforce what you learned. Try them all!
Difficulty levels: Easy Medium Challenge
1 Truncated Axis Finder Easy Activity
Find 5 graphs online or in textbooks. Check each one: does the y-axis start at zero? If not, redraw it with a full scale. How does the story change?
2 Before and After Gallery Easy Creative
Take 3 honest graphs and create misleading versions on purpose (truncate axes, cherry-pick, add 3D). Then label each trick you used. Present both versions to someone.
3 Missing Context Challenge Medium Discussion
For each claim, identify what context is missing: (1) 'Crime up 100%!' (from 1 to 2 incidents), (2) 'Company grew 500%!' (over what time period?), (3) '9 out of 10 recommend...' (10 people total?).
4 News Graph Audit Medium Research
Find 5 graphs from news websites. For each, rate it: Honest, Slightly Misleading, or Very Misleading. Explain your rating and what could be improved.
5 Redesign Workshop Medium Activity
Take 2 misleading graphs and redesign them honestly. For each, write: what was the trick, how you fixed it, and how the story changed.
6 Create a Misleading Infographic Challenge Critical Thinking
Take a simple dataset and create the MOST misleading infographic you can (on purpose). Use at least 3 different tricks. Then create an honest version of the same data. Present both and explain every trick you used.