Twelve students were asked: "How many books did you read last week?" Their answers, in the order collected, are: 0, 1, 2, 2, 3, 1, 2, 4, 2, 3, 1, 2. Step 1: Build a DOT PLOT. Draw a number line from 0 to 4. Above each number, stack one dot for every student who gave that answer: 0 books -> 1 dot; 1 book -> 3 dots; 2 books -> 5 dots; 3 books -> 2 dots; 4 books -> 1 dot. Total dots: 1 + 3 + 5 + 2 + 1 = 12 - every student is exactly one dot. Step 2: Read it. The tallest stack is above 2 - the most common answer is 2 books. Only one student read 0, and only one read 4. Step 3: Compare with the other two graphs. A pictograph of "favourite season" votes (Spring 8, Summer 14, Fall 6, Winter 4; key each symbol = 2 students -> rows of 4, 7, 3, 2 symbols) is friendly and quick for category counts. A bar graph of the same seasons (axis 0 to 16 by 2s; bars reach 8, 14, 6, 4) makes the amounts easiest to compare at a glance, because bar heights sit against the scale. Say it plainly: the dot plot is the only one of the three that shows INDIVIDUAL values - use it when the data are measurements or counts that repeat (books read, siblings, pets), with small values. Categories with big counts belong to pictographs and bar graphs.

Data: number of pencils in 6 students' cases: 1, 3, 2, 3, 1, 3. Describe the dot plot: how many dots above each number? -> 1 -> 2 dots; 2 -> 1 dot; 3 -> 3 dots (total 6)