Maths · KS3 Y7 · Statistics

Line graphs over time

Line graphs over timeFree4:10Heddy Score 3 of 7, below the standard

What you need to know

  • Starting the vertical axis at 95% instead of 0 makes a tiny difference between bars look huge.
  • An uneven time scale on the horizontal axis can squash or stretch a trend.
  • Cherry-picking a time window or leaving out context, such as population growth, can tell a false story.
  • Before trusting any graph, check the labels, the numbers, the scale and the context.

In this clip

0:07–4:07Misleading graphs
Also coversLine graphs over time
Heddy Score3/7, Below the standard
See the seven stars
  • Trusted source · passed. The creator's own upload, live and playable here.
  • On the map · not judged yet. A teacher watched it: it mainly teaches this map topic.
  • Spec-true · not judged yet. Accurate, and right for the current UK specification.
  • Focused · passed. One idea, short enough to watch in one go.
  • Accessible · passed. Good captions, clear sound and pictures.
  • Safe for children · not judged yet. Right for 11 to 16 year olds, with no sales pitch.
  • Proven · not judged yet. Earned from our students: they learn from it, find it helpful and watch it to the end.
★ passed · ☆ pending · ✕ failed
Our students

Not enough students yet

Our own students' answers. These are what move ★7 Proven.
On YouTube

3.82M views · 102K likes · TED-Ed 23M subscribers

As reported by YouTube on 2026-11-02. Not part of the Heddy Score.
How the Heddy Score works

Why we picked it

A short, sharp tour of the main tricks behind misleading graphs, each shown with a real example and then redrawn honestly.

TED-Ed on YouTubechecked 2026-10-22

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