Landscaping Costs

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Ava's family wants to start a landscaping business, and they know that gas prices change over time.

They could use gas-powered equipment, or they could decide to use electric-powered equipment instead.

Ava has collected data about the cost of gas during the spring and summer months in a table. She wants to make a line graph to show the change in cost over time.

The table shows the average cost of gas for each month of the spring and summer

Let's help Ava make the line graph.

The title of the graph tells what information you are trying to display.

The title of this line graph should be Average Cost of Gas per gallon.

Let's place that at the top.

Next, we need to label the axes.

The horizontal axis, or bottom side, should be the units of time.

What unit of time should we use in this graph?

That's right! It's months!

Let's add that label and the months to the bottom.

The vertical axis, or left side, should be the numbers that we are recording.

Remember that you need to identify the units for those numbers.

Let's finish adding our labels

In this graph, it should be cost in dollars.

Let's take a closer look at the units that we use for this graph. The lowest price of gas was two dollars and forty cents, but the range on the graph does not start with that number

The range on the graph is from two dollars and thirty cents to two dollars and sixty-five cents. This range allows for all the data points to be within the graph and spread out evenly

Using the table, we will plot our data.

In March, the average cost of gas is two dollars and forty- five cents. Let's place a dot there.

Remember to go to the bottom label first, then go up to the value.

In April, the average cost is two dollars and sixty cents. Let's add that point.

Now we will add the rest of the points.

The last step is to add our line.

Remember to use a ruler or straightedge to get neat, straight lines.

Starting at the first point, draw a line to the next point.

Now we have connected all the points and have a completed line graph!

Great job! Now Ava has a graph to help her family decide if it is best to use gas or electric equipment!