Module 3 · Lesson 5 of 7
Tables and pie charts
Find the story in a dense table and compare pie charts slice by slice, with the language of proportion, two full model answers and a timed practice task.
In this lesson
- Use a five-step method to find the story in a dense table and choose the few figures that matter
- Group the rows of a table by what they do, and use totals and combined rows to support your overview
- Compare two pie charts slice by slice, for two years or for two groups, without confusing shares with amounts
- Report proportions accurately with fractions, multiples, percentage points and ranking language
- Write a complete answer about a table in 20 minutes
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Inside this lesson
- Tables: a chart that nobody has drawn yet
- A five-step method for dense tables
- Worked example 1: a table with a time line
- Tables with no time line: look for profiles
- Pie charts: every slice is a share of a whole
- Worked example 2: two pie charts, twenty years apart
- Before you write: the four-line plan
- The language of proportion, in full sentences
- Quick drill: two pie charts, two groups, one year
- Seven mistakes to avoid with tables and pie charts
- Your turn: a full answer about the city table
- Check your understanding