1. Pictograms
A pictogram (or pictograph) is a visually appealing method of presenting count data (items that can be counted). Copies of a symbol representing a fixed quantity of the data items, given in a key, create a diagram such as the one below.
The data represented is the population of the nations of the UK in 2021. Think of a pictogram as a more efficient tally chart where each symbol can represent any amount, not just one.
Activity 1
Using the key in the pictogram, shown again here, answer these questions.
How many people would each of the following images represent?
Draw the image required for each of these amounts of people. 4 million people 500,000 people
Answer
Answers
(i) 10 million people 1 million people (approximately). It is impossible to tell if this is exactly half the image in the key.
(ii) or perhaps (1/4 of the symbol is needed). Again, this is very difficult to draw exactly using this symbol.
Add equation here?Activity 2
The pictogram from Figure 1 is copied again here.
Answer the following questions, using the pictogram above.
Which nation has the smallest population? Estimate the population of Scotland.
Answer
Northern Ireland The population is between 5 and 6 million. (The actual figure was 5,480,000.)
A pictogram can be an attractive and effective way of presenting data, and learners enjoy producing their own examples, by hand or on a computer. However, the choice of symbol can affect clarity and accuracy. Did you notice that the symbol for Northern Ireland wasn’t quite complete? It might have been easier to see the population was below 2 million if a basic shape had been used, such as a circle, and removed a slice.