Based on articles from A. Lamb and L. Johnson
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Infographics can be both starting points and culminating experiences (and everything in between) for authentic learning!
Type |
Specifics |
JUMPSTART DISCUSSIONS or INTRODUCE A NEW UNIT |
Involve small groups in discussing a specific infographic. In an Information Literacy or Digital Citizenship classes use this Wikipedia infographic. Ask them to talk about their own use of print encyclopedia and online reference resources or plagiarism. |
FACT-CHECK INFOGRAPHICS |
Provide small groups with biographies such as Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman (Grades 5-7) and Abraham Lincoln by George Sullivan. (Grades 4-7) Ask them to compare the book with the facts in the Abraham Lincoln infographic. |
TRACE THE ORIGIN |
Encourage students to evaluate and trace the origin of an infographic on a particular subject. A class reading books about the Holocaust, such as The War within These Walls by Aline Sax (Grades 8 and up), might search for an infographic about the Holocaust. Then track the origin of the infographic and speculate on why a particular individual or group might have created it. Auschwitz Remembered |
COMPARE VISUAL PRESENTATION |
Compare multiple infographics on the same topic. A search for "Mars Rover infographic" yields more than a dozen different examples. Ask students to compare the types of information found and the approaches to presenting the information visually. Finally, ask them to write about what they think should go in an effective infographic on the Mars Rover. Use the book The Mighty Mars Rovers: The Incredible Adventures of Spirit and Opportunity by Elizabeth Rusch (Grades 5-7) for additional information. Mars Rover CC 10 Years on Mars |
APPLY INFORMATION LEARNED FROM AN INFOGRAPHIC |
Ask students to apply something they've learned from an infographic. The "Get More out of Google" infographic shares ideas for using Google more effectively. Ask students to try out some. Extension - create their own "Google Tips" infographic to share search strategies. |
COMPARE AND CONTRAST IDEAS |
Compare Social Media, cars, phones, systems of government, scientific theories, religions... Mac and PC How cars versus people burn fuel Compare two individuals George Orwell versus Aldous Huxley. Kobe Bryant with Michael Jordan. Who else? politicians, singers, artists, philosophers, members of cliques, mathematicians, revolutionaries, scientists… Why Infographics Accelerate Decision Making Compares what happens with ideas presented in text versus presented graphically. Make then and now comparisons "The March on Washington at 50" compares the life of black Americans in 1963 with 2013. Do a search for "then and now infographics" for lots of examples. Office technology, teens, immigration, social media, financial planning, media consumption, medical procedures, special education, serving sizes of food, transportation... Or, use with a new infographic, Women of Color are Underrepresented in U.S. News Media |
INQUIRY BASED LEARNING ACTIVITIES |
Ask students to select from the dozens of infographics available at Live-Science or History Channel. (At the History Channel page, you have to scroll by ads.) Encourage them to generate their own questions and fact-check the information on the page. |
CURRENT EVENTS |
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SUMMARIZE KNOWLEDGE |
Read articles like "50 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Philadelphia," or "Things To Do In Boston." Challenge students to create an infographic to highlight several of the facts. Show Me What You Know - an infographic about web versus mobile app tools |
INTERPRET |
Present infographics that ask students to make sense of dynamic systems, relational data, or change over time. To build their critical thinking skills, present both good and bad charts, graphs, and infographics for students to examine. Help students determine when statistics reflect value judgments, are presented in a distorted scale, or lie in other ways. |
SOLVE A PROBLEM |
Address real-life or role-play challenges by asking participants to summarize information in an infographic. A middle school example: Students notice that many sidewalks are broken, making them impassable for people using strollers, wheelchairs, walkers, and canes. They survey their neighborhoods, record their neighbors' mobility challenges and identify the worst impediments. Imagine the data they can collect! How might they present their information pictorially to tell a story and make the case for resolving these problems? What might their infographic look like? Who might the audience be for a persuasive appeal that incorporates the infographic? |
FILL IN THE BLANK INFOGRAPHICS |
You did it with PowerPoint, now engage learners by giving them a partially completed infographic. As you go through the class, they will discover the information they need to fill in the blanks. |