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Grade 2 · Maths · Lessons
Marks on a line
📏measure❌an X✏️pencils📈line plot
An X for each one.
The big ideaMeasure each one. Put one X over its length.

How it works

A line plot is a number line with an X over each measurement.

Measure each thing, find its length on the line, and put one X above it.

Tall stacks of X's show the lengths that happen most.

Pencil lengths00.511.522.5313 in24 in35 in16 inhow many
Example numbers: how many pencils are each length.

Example 1: Where does the X go?

  1. A crayon starts at 0 and ends at the 5 on a centimeter ruler.
  2. It is 5 cm long.
  3. Put one X over the 5 on the line plot.

Example 2: Two the same length

  1. Two pencils are both 4 in long.
  2. Put one X over the 4 for the first pencil.
  3. Put the second X on top of it. The stack is 2 tall.

Example 3: How many?

  1. A line plot has 1 X over 3, 2 X's over 5 and 1 X over 7.
  2. How many are 5 in long? Count the X's over the 5: there are 2.
  3. In all there are 1 + 2 + 1 = 4 things measured.

Words to know

line plot
A number line with X's to show how many of each length.
measure
Find out how long something is.

Watch out

Try it

  1. A pencil is 4 in long. Where does its X go on the line?
  2. Three crayons are 6 cm long. How many X's go over the 6?
  3. Do you put an X between two marks, or over the closest mark?
  4. A line plot shows 2 X's over 5 and 4 X's over 7. How many things were measured?
Answers: 1. over the 4 · 2. 3 · 3. over the closest mark · 4. 6
For grown-upsMeasure ten spoons or pens with your child and make a line plot together.
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