Graphical skills

AQA Geography rewards students who can choose the right graph for a dataset, complete a partly drawn graph, and interpret what it shows. Examiners give credit for spotting trends, anomalies and ranges.

Bar chart

• Discrete data (categories): countries' population, types of pollution.
• Bars equal width, gaps between, y-axis is frequency or value.
• Compound (stacked) bar — stacks subsections; useful for showing % composition.

Line graph

• Continuous data over time: temperature, population, river discharge.
• Plot points then join smoothly; multiple lines for comparison.
• Read range = maximum − minimum.

Pie chart

• Show parts of a whole: energy mix, age structure.
• Total must equal 100 %; angle = (% / 100) × 360°. So 25 % = 90°.

Scatter graph

• Tests for correlation between two variables.
• Positive — both rise (river velocity vs distance downstream).
• Negative — one rises as other falls (temperature vs altitude).
• No correlation — random scatter.
• Line of best fit — drawn so equal points fall above and below; doesn't have to start at origin.
• Anomaly — a point far from the line; comment on it.

Choropleth map

• Areas shaded in proportion to a variable (population density, % unemployment).
• Use a graded colour scheme (light → dark = low → high).
• Boundaries clearly visible.
• Caveat: choropleth assumes uniform value within each unit, hiding local variation.

Isoline map

• Lines connecting points of equal value.
• Used for rainfall (isohyets), pressure (isobars), pollution.
• Closely-spaced isolines = steep gradient.

Dispersion diagram

• Vertical scale; each data value plotted as a dot at its value.
• Useful for comparing two distributions (e.g. river depth at two sites).
• Quick visual of range, median and clustering.

Climate graph

• Combines bar chart (rainfall, mm) and line graph (temperature, °C).
• Two y-axes. Months on x-axis.
• Used to compare climate zones (tropical vs temperate vs arid).

Population pyramid

• Two horizontal bar charts back-to-back.
• Males on left, females on right; age bands on y-axis (0–4, 5–9, …).
• Wide base = high birth rate (LIC, e.g. Niger).
• Narrow base, wide top = ageing population (Japan).
• Even bands = stable, post-transition (UK).

Reading data from graphs

For 2-mark "describe trend" questions:

• State the overall direction (rising, falling, stable, fluctuating).
• Use figures ("rose from 30 in 2010 to 65 in 2020").
• Identify anomalies ("except a sharp dip in 2020 due to COVID").

Examiner tips

• For a "describe what the graph shows" question, always give one quantified statement plus one reference to overall trend.
• Anomalies score extra marks — examiners check whether you've spotted them.
• For drawing/completing, use a sharp pencil, ruler for axes, label units.
• "Describe" ≠ "explain" — describe is what the data shows; explain asks why.