Here are two bar charts side by side, both showing the exact same two numbers. In one, the scale starts at zero and the two bars look almost the same height. In the other, the scale starts at 90 and one bar towers over the other. Same numbers, two completely different stories. How can both charts be honest?

We will walk through three graphs that each bend the truth in a different way. Listen for the real numbers on each one, then look at the picture the graph paints. Watch for where the picture and the numbers disagree.

The last one uses no scale at all. It uses pictures of different sizes.

We'll work through three tricky graphs one at a time. Each bullet below gives you the real numbers. For each one, name the trick and describe what a fair version would look like.

• A football chart: Team A has 9 wins and Team B has 12 wins, but the Team B bar looks four times taller.
• A temperature chart with the marks 0, 5, 20, 40 up the side.
• A pictogram of pets, one dog symbol for every 5 pets: Class 5 has 10 pets (2 symbols) and Class 6 has 15 pets (3 symbols), but Class 6's symbols look much bigger.