Look at the three pie charts in the picture. Can you tell which slice is the biggest in each one? Now look at the column charts underneath, made from exactly the same numbers. Easier, right? Choosing the right chart matters.
Image source: File:Piecharts.svg (Wikimedia Commons)
In this post:
- Why we turn numbers into charts
- Column, bar, line and pie charts, and when to use each
- The parts of a chart: title, axis labels and legend
- Making and printing a chart in Excel
- A chart-building lab, a matching activity and a quiz
Why use a chart?
A chart (or graph) turns a table of numbers into a picture. It helps people see patterns quickly: which is biggest, which is smallest, and whether things are going up or down.
Choosing the right chart
| Chart type | What it looks like | Best for | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Column chart | Upright bars | Comparing a few groups | Marks for five students |
| Bar chart | Bars lying sideways | Comparing groups with long names, or lots of groups | Visitors to different attractions |
| Line chart | Points joined by a line | Showing change over time | Rainfall each month |
| Pie chart | A circle cut into slices | Showing parts of one whole (only a few slices) | How the class voted for a trip |
The parts of a chart
- Chart title: says what the chart is about, e.g. Favourite Fruits in Form 2B.
- Horizontal (x) axis: along the bottom, usually the groups or the times (e.g. months).
- Vertical (y) axis: up the side, usually the numbers (e.g. rainfall in mm).
- Axis titles (labels): words that explain each axis, including units.
- Legend: a key that explains the colours. A pie chart needs one; a chart with only one set of data often does not.
Making a chart in Excel
- Select the data, including the headings.
- Go to the Insert tab and choose a chart in the Charts group (or click Recommended Charts).
- Click the chart title and type a better one.
- Add axis titles: click the chart, then the + (Chart Elements) button → tick Axis Titles. In Excel 2007 and 2010, use Chart Tools → Layout → Axis Titles.
- Drag the chart to move it, or drag a corner to resize it.
- To print just the chart, click it first, then File → Print.
Image source: File:LibreOffice Calc screenshot showing a simple chart.png (Wikimedia Commons)
Watch: charts in Excel
This video shows how to insert a chart in Excel and change how it looks.
Video: Excel: Charts – LearnFree – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Wu7jYTr1Pk
Activity: chart lab
Try it: build the best chart
For each data set, choose the chart type, type a title and label the axes. Click Draw chart to preview it, then Check my chart. (The numbers are made up for practice.)
Chart title:
Horizontal (x) axis label: Vertical (y) axis label:
Activity: which chart?
Try it: choose the chart type
Which chart would suit each set of data best?
| Your height measured on your birthday every year from age 5 to 13 | |
| How you spend the 24 hours in a day (sleep, school, play, meals) | |
| The number of goals scored by four football teams | |
| The populations of 12 Caribbean countries | |
| The temperature at noon every day for a week | |
| How the class split its votes between three trip choices |
Self-check quiz
Click the best answer. You get feedback straight away; only your first click counts towards your score.
1. Which chart is best for showing change over time?
2. A pie chart is best for showing…
3. What is the vertical axis also called?
4. Before inserting a chart in Excel, you should…
5. Why should every chart have a title and axis labels?
6. How do you print only a chart in Excel?
Related posts on islandclass.org
- Absolute Addressing and Chart Creation, Revision – Spreadsheets Tutorial
- Simple Chart Exercise / Tutorial (With Solution)
- Spreadsheet Assignment 1
- Live class: Insert a chart in Excel (2023-10-12 [2A])
- 2025-06-03_13-21-04 Sorting , Charts (Spreadsheets Live Class)
For later, in Forms 4–5 (CSEC IT): these go deeper and are for when you reach CSEC Information Technology.
Next: Planning and Capturing a Video
Syllabus link: Forms 1–3 ICT curriculum, Module 3, Objective 3.13 – demonstrate data visually by creating appropriate charts using spreadsheet data.
Attributions to media used in this post:
- Piecharts.svg – Schutz (Wikipedia user) – CC BY 1.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- LibreOffice Calc screenshot showing a simple chart.png – Yanpas – CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Video: Excel: Charts – LearnFree (YouTube)
Updates
2026/10/21
- Fixed the activity code so its buttons keep working.
© 2026 Vedesh Kungebeharry. All rights reserved.