How to Lie With a Graph
Truncated axes, bad scales, cherry-picked windows — and how to spot them.
Two Graphs, Same Data
One graph shows a dramatic plunge. The other shows barely any change. Both use the same data and are technically accurate. Why do they look so different?
The Same Data, Four Ways
Students create four graphs from the same dataset — dramatic, discouraging, boring, and honest — and discover how much design choices shape the story a graph tells.
Start exploringThe Four Tricks
Truncated axes, cherry-picked time ranges, 3D distortion, and missing context — each trick named, demonstrated, and added to a four-question checklist.
Spotting Tricks in the Wild
Three real-world graph problems: an approval rating chart, a tech startup's growth graph, and two competing climate visualizations.
Work through problemsFind a Graph in the Wild
Students find a real graph from a news article, ad, or social post and apply the four-question checklist. Is there a difference between accurate and honest?
Go to discussionThe Honest Graph
Find real data on a topic you care about. Create a persuasive version and an honest version. Write a paragraph explaining every choice you made.
View capstone projectWhere this shows up
News media, advertising, political persuasion