Visualize Box Office Revenues

Only one person in your group should watch this video and make the graph.

Ask a group member if you are unsure about which video you should watch.

In this video, you'll analyze box office revenue, or how much money the movies in your spreadsheet earned from selling theater tickets.

This will give you a sense of how much money movies typically make.

To do this, you will create a histogram.

A histogram is a type of graph that groups numbers into ranges called "buckets." Then, it uses bars of different heights to show how many items fit into each bucket.

You could draw a histogram by hand, but with over 500 movies, that would take a really long time.

Fortunately, a spreadsheet can do this work for you.

To start, select the data to include in the graph.

In the Movie Data spreadsheet, select all the data in the "Box Office Revenue" column.

Click "Insert," then "Chart." In this example, the Chart Editor recommends a histogram to depict revenue amounts.

If the histogram does not appear, select "Chart types" and locate the histogram.

Next, customize your graph.

If you'd like, change the: title, fonts, background color, and colors of your graph.

Your graph can only show thirty bars, so select a bucket size that allows you to see all the data, but in a way that makes sense.

If your bucket size is too big, you won't be able to interpret your data.

Type five hundred million -- five hundred followed by six zeros -- as the bucket size.

Most movies earn between zero and five hundred million dollars.

But that's a really wide range.

If your bucket size is too small, the graph may be difficult to read.

Experiment with bucket sizes until you find an amount that depicts your data most effectively.

At the end of this unit, you will write a proposal to present the movie your group chooses.

You will use a graph to explain your choices, so make sure it is easy to read.

Label the axes on your chart so that you can tell what your histogram depicts.

Label the horizontal axis "Box Office Revenue" and the vertical axis "Number of Movies." When you finish customizing the histogram, click the "X" in the chart editor.

Click and drag the graph so that it does not cover any of the data.

Your partners may also be inserting and moving their graphs at the same time.

To edit your graph, double click on the graph, and the Chart Editor reappears.

Take a look at the graph.

Most movies earn between zero and 100 million dollars.

There are very few movies that make more than 250 million dollars.

Knowing how much money movies usually make can help you decide how much to spend.

When you finish customizing your graph, check on your partners to see if they need help.

When your group has completed all of the graphs move on to the next video to wrap up data visualization.

Now, it's your turn: Select the entire "Box Office Revenue" column.

Click "Insert," "Chart." Select histogram.

Customize your graph by changing the title, fonts, and colors.

Tinker with the bucket size until your graph is easy to read.

Label the axes on the graph.

Then, check on your partners to see if they need help.

When you have all finished creating your graphs move on to the next video to wrap up data visualization.