How to Read an Infographic for Kids

Practise you know what an "infographic" is? Do your students? Increasingly more and more data is beingness conveyed in visual terms.

Infographics are visual representations of information, oft using numbers and proportional data. Increasingly they also include arresting graphics that grab the attention of our image-attuned 21st century brains. They may convey a single "factoid" or an unabridged story narrative.

A good instance of the 'factoid" is the familiar news graphic found on the lesser left hand corner of the daily USA Today paper.

Considering marketers know that visuals interpret to sharing on social media, a number of industries have embraced infographics including entertainment, sports, health, psychology, lifestyle, and food.

They can exist used to lure customers (like this "get on the bandwagon" appeal):

Or perhaps scare customers in some other management (like this natural health site's attention-getter):

Why teach virtually infographics?

The SAT college admissions test has increased the utilise of graphic-type questions in both the reading and math sections. The caput of the College Board justified the addition of "graphic literacy" saying "existence a literate consumer of that information is valuable regardless of your career." (Source) Here is a sample graph from a practice SAT (click to enlarge):

(Source)

It's like shooting fish in a barrel to see how students could be disoriented if they've not had any prior experience analyzing and deconstructing these types of graphics or how to answer the multiple pick questions that accompanies them. The Common Core Standards for Math make reference to these visuals when they says students "represent and solve equations and inequalities graphically." (Source)

The sciences are some other discipline which regularly employs infographics to explain sometimes complicated concepts, similar climate modify. The back page of every result of Scholastic Scientific discipline World magazine features a full page infographic. In this example, the graphic is used to double-decker students as they visually interpret the facts from a story inside the event nearly coral reef degradation due to global climate alter.

Close reading infographics

If y'all've followed my previous columns on "shut reading" the media, and then yous'll know that it is important for students to question how media is synthetic. Information technology is also vital to know who created the media; who is the audition; what techniques are used to make the message credible; and who or what might be omitted.  These aforementioned "media literacy" critical thinking questions are also keys to understanding infographics.

Every infographic should have a central theme or idea – in other words, what is the designer or marketer trying to communicate? What are they trying to get the reader to know and to sympathise? Go dorsum and look at that USA Today graphic: did you notice the headline above the image? What other words are found within and exterior the graphic – how important are they? Is at that place annihilation omitted that you'd like to know? Do you know where to go to find that information?

Many infographics are designed by experts who utilise visual literacy and art techniques. This includes everything from the rule-of-thirds, to color, to font fashion and size, and layout. Infographics may convey data by using pie charts or bar charts. Or they may "invent" their ain display systems. The American Automobile Association (AAA) created this infographic to capture public attending nigh driving distractions, including cellphones. The infographic communicates to many audiences more than finer than the original news release reporting on inquiry by cognitive distraction expert Dr. David Strayer.

Simply equally in advertising, colour is important in infographics. Black, for example, tin can signify luxury. Green often communicates nature or wellness. Red is idea of as the about attention-getting of all of the colors. Read more virtually the meanings of color here.

Infographics can too be misleading every bit evidenced by this graphic produced and distributed by Microsoft. (Source)   Did y'all notice: the image used for 2014 contributions is double that of 2011, but the actual dollar contributions are not.

Have your students create infographics

Your students tin can exist tasked with reading a news story, culling the important information or information from it, and creating their own infographic. What images and colors will they decide to utilise? How will the chosen words compliment the images? What's the best way to explicate and display the information? And how volition it be informative or persuasive?

This web site lists 10 apps or software for creating free infographics.

It is clear that more data is existence communicated to united states visually, through the news, magazines, television receiver and online. Already the SAT and Mutual Core acknowledge the importance of having today's students be proficient in agreement graphic representations. If whatsoever of this is new to you, mayhap at present is the fourth dimension to determine if there are professional person development opportunities that would help you better understand not simply how to read visuals, but also how to implement them in your classroom.

Recommended resources

Interpreting the Information: 10 Means To Teach Math and More With Infographics

Inventing Infographics: Visual Literacy Meets Written Content

Infographics as Creative Cess

Scientific discipline Infographics

Why Kids Need Information Literacy, and How You Can Teach It

Frank W. Baker is a monthly contributor to Middleweb on topics related to media and media literacy. He tin can be reached by e-mail at fbaker1346@gmail.com.

johnstondreautall.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.middleweb.com/34963/media-literacy-how-to-close-read-infographics/

Share this post