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Since the beginning of recorded time, humans have been using pictures to communicate with each other. Sumerians used pictographs for record-keeping purposes, and Egyptians used hieroglyphics to capture their history. Infographics (see Figures 1 & 2) are modern, written artifacts about collected resources in a dynamic, visual format. The concept of an infographie stems from information literacy, which is the "set of skills needed to find, retrieve, analyze, and use information" (American Library Association, 1996-2013, para. 1).
Importantly, infographics should be viewed as complex, standalone texts, not simply a text feature or graphic element. More and more, infographics are being used by digital media outlets and marketing companies to communicate with their audience. Infographics can be used in education as a timely and relevant means to support reading and writing in exciting and powerful ways.
What makes a good infographie?
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) call for greater emphasis on complex texts where students demonstrate knowledge through evidence collection and content connections (see sidebar on this page). The nature of the infographie lends itself to the elements commonly cited in writing. The most powerful infographics include the following elements:
* Purpose: The audience should be able to infer the author's purpose, draw conclusions based on the evidence, and summarize the gist of the infographics.
* Style: The graphic components including the layout, text, symbols, and color schemes should address the tone of the author.
* Evidence: Data and text must be cited and appropriately integrated in the design to support the reader's understanding.
* Format: The infographie can be represented in a static format, designed for print, or a dynamic medium, allowing for interactivity.
How can I teach comprehension with infographics?
High quality infographics can be powerful sources for engaging students in several levels of critical analysis via close reading. Lesson objectives might include asking students to examine die elements that make an effective argument. Teachers could also use infographics to help students...