A speed-vs-time graph from a bike ride
A graph can tell a whole story without any numbers. Let's read one together.
Here's a speed graph from a bike ride. The bottom shows time in minutes, and the side shows how fast the rider is going.
From minute 0 to minute 5, the line climbs upward — that means the speed is increasing as the rider pedals harder.
From minute 5 to minute 15, the line goes flat — the speed stays the same, a steady cruising pace.
From minute 15 to minute 20, the line drops back down — the speed is decreasing as the rider slows to a stop.
Careful: the graph's height shows speed, not how far the rider has traveled. A flat line means constant speed, not standing still.
Put it all together and the graph tells a story: sped up, then cruised, then slowed to a stop.
You can work backwards too — starting from a story like this, you can sketch the rising, flat, and falling parts to match each event.
Every rise, plateau, and drop in a graph is a clue. Read them in order, and you can describe — or even draw — the whole story.