Infographics

Have students create an infographic to share knowledge and data about an issue or science topic they are studying.

Engage

Infographics are an increasingly popular way of sharing information in newspapers, magazines, and online news sites. These visual representations of knowledge and information are designed to make complex ideas and large amounts of data easy to understand.

Share sample infographics like 70 Years of Batman Evolution or Then/Now: Same Camping Gear Essentials, But Better.

You might also watch the Beauty of Data Visualization TED Talk by David McCandless or assign it as homework.

Discuss the sample infographics with your students. Ask questions like:

• Which infographic was the best? Why?
• What made them interesting - content, design, or both?
• How did the design contribute to how you felt about the information?

Create

The process begins not with making the infographic, but with research. Use a Double-Entry Notetaking Template to help students record information they find and support their efforts to think about how they will visually convey it.

Double-Entry Notetaking Template

Before students begin converting their textual information to visual, refer back to examples and discuss how various infographics transfer knowledge and information quickly.

Have students start a New Blank project or choose an infographic template to begin.

Students can use the paint tools to create simple shapes or add images from the Symbols and Icons folders.

Note: Infographics, especially those that include lots of data, ALWAYS include citations. Take a moment to remind your students to capture citations for information they are including.

Share

Print student posters and display in your room or around school. Publish the posters to PDF and image files to post on your classroom and school web site. Then, share them via blog, Edmodo, and social media, such as your school’s Facebook page or teacher’s Twitter account.

If the infographics are centered on a topic you are studying in your classroom, collect them into your Wixie Showcase to use them in the future next year. Add them to to share this collection online for other students and teachers to use.