Team Teaching about Graphs

Activities that Apply Information Literacy
Via Maine's Learning Results

Information Credibility

A critical component of information literacy is appraising the reliability of material. The librarian and the teacher can team to cover the variety of ways students can examine credibility and relevance both while they are searching and after they retrieve research items. Following are some of the areas that need to be covered:

Currency of information in relation to topic focus
Reliability of source
Point of view
Author's focus
Primary or secondary source
Opinion or fact
Bias/prejudice
Authority
Intended audience
Verifiable
Solicited or unsolicited
Primary/secondary information source

These skills are commonly taught in relation to text. The current move to researching CD-ROMS and the Internet, involving more and more multi-media formats, requires expanding these skills into visual literacy. The librarian has worked with audio visuals and can bring skill teaching for this area to the team. Visual literacy includes the interpretation of information from photos, pictures and other art works, graphs, charts, videos, television shows, computer-developed visuals, clip art, models, dioramas, realia, in short, anything not presented in words or sounds. Teachers and librarians can collaborate in preparing students to critique the dependability of multi-media information as carefully as they do text. An example follows, with references to specific performance indicators from the January 1996 draft of MaineÍs Learning Results.

Getting Information from Graphs

Purpose of the activities: Be able to distinguish between the visual impact of graphs and the information given by the numbers used on the graphs.

The introduction can be done in one 45 minute class. The educator team needs to know how much experience the students have with graphing. The topic can be expanded into several lessons, with the students doing their own surveys to acquire primary source statistics. See survey project and rubric in the SELF-ASSESSMENT chapter. The educators would have to know what computer applications are available for students to produce their own graphs. Expansion of the introduction can also include subject area teachers for an interdisciplinary approach. The performance indicators given suggest specific areas of integration.

Introduction

Visualize two line graphs - one with a fairly flat line and the second with a gradually rising line. Both graphs have the same statistics, but use different scales. The topic is dependent on what subject area teacher is teaming with the librarian. The following example chart shown is related to elections. Questions to ask for this chart: "Which graph would be used by the candidate in office to show the status of unemployment during his/her term?" "Which would be used by the opponent?" In teams, write out the actual numbers from the graph, compare and discuss. Questions to ask: What is different, what is the same between the two graphs? What impact is each candidate hoping to achieve? How is that goal reflected visually?

Expansion assignment

In teams of two or four with subject area dependent upon current class work. With an almanac or encyclopedia, find a set of statistics, and produce two graphs with different visual impacts. Half of the team present an argument using one graph, the other half present the opposite argument with the other graph. Whole class could vote on which graph reflects the statistics best.

The type of graph will be dependent upon math class teaching - this lesson could be an excellent follow-up to math class covering how to produce all varieties of graphs.

Incorporate computers with production of the graphs - thus allowing students to "play" with, try out various visual impacts without the drudgery of hand drawings. Most computer graphing applications can flip entered statistics quickly to a variety of visuals.

Long term assignment: Find graphs in current media and analyze the focus of the graph. Use the same numbers and recreate the graph to support an alternative focus.

Assessment

Any of the following areas could be appraised: the actual graph production, the visual impact of graphs, the speaking part of the presentation, the development of the persuasive argument, the use of the subject matter for the graph and presentation, the team-work involved in the project. The assessment tool shown is incomplete. As a first step, fill in the empty boxes. Now browse the visual literacy projects in the Adventure in Space chapter. Which aspect of visual literacy is a key component of each project? Choose one of them, and list measurable criteria for that component. Then complete the rubric matrix by describing three levels of achievement for each criterion.

VISUAL IMPACT OF A GRAPH

CRITERIA	ADEQUATE	PROFICIENT	LIMITED
Title	At top, centered 1-2-3 words long	.	.
Color	1 or 2 colors or shading, defining.	Distracting	Confusing
Citation	Lower left-hand corner	.	Missing
Grid	Listest line or omitted	.	.
Key - Labels	Simple, readable block letters	.	.
Bars - Lines	Stand out, obvious	.	.
Graph type	Best possible delineation	.	Ungraphable material
Comments	.	.	.

Performance Indicators Reflected in the Foregoing Graph Activities
(Using the January 1996 Learning Results draft)

Career
5-8 Impact of specific technology on issues
5-8 Debates need for ethical standards in application of technology
9-12 Applies experiences with tools (computergraphing) to issues of life
9-12 Evaluates skills in team-designed project

English
5-8 Views in order to identify various viewpoints on a debatable issue
5-8 Accurately uses oral language conventions in formal situation
9-12 Uses spoken language with competency
5-8 Uses a variety of resources to investigate for oral presentation
9-12 Designs presentation to achieve particular rhetorical purpose
5-8 Adjusts viewing strategies in order to comprehend
5-8 Identifies bias in visual materials
5-8 Evaluates reliability of information from mass media
9-12 Identifies how bias influences peoplesÍ perceptions and formulates hypothesis about authorÍs viewpoint

Math
5-8 Graphs numerical relationships
3-4 Reads and interprets displays of data
5-8 Constructs convincing arguments based on data
9-12 Constructs graphs that summarize data
5-8 Analyzes graphs to identify relationships in a practical context
9-12 Uses computer technology to model situations effectively
9-12 Analyzes situations where more than one logical conclusion can be drawn from the data presented

Social Studies
5-8 Develops and practices skill necessary for participatory citizenship
5-8 Uses information to support a point of view on a controversial historical topic
9-12 Analyzes a variety of sources to articulate different interpretations of history
5-8 Uses differing points of view to examine a local environmental problem
9-12 Debates practices and polices to lessen the impact of population growth on earthÍs resources
5-8 Uses multiple points of view to analyze a contemporary geographic issue
5-8 Analyze how the media characterize cultural and social groups

Visual/performing arts
3-4 Recognizes how the elements of visual arts can be manipulated to persuade

Science
3-4 Demonstrates the ability to make and use graphs
9-12 Identifies a current dilemma, researches public information on, identifies points of bias, inconsistent logic
9-12 Analyzes situations where more than one logical conclusion can be drawn from data

Expansion assignment

The type of graph will be dependent upon math class teaching - this lesson could be an excellent follow-up to math class covering how to produce all varieties of graphs.

Long term assignment: Find graphs in current media and analyze the focus of the graph. Use the same numbers and recreate the graph to support an alternative focus.

Assessment
Any of the following areas could be appraised: the actual graph production, the visual impact of graphs, the speaking part of the presentation, the development of the persuasive argument, the use of the subject matter for the graph and presentation, the team-work involved in the project. The assessment tool shown is incomplete. As a first step, fill in the empty boxes. Now browse the visual literacy projects in the Adventure in Space chapter. Which aspect of visual literacy is a key component of each project? Choose one of them, and list measurable criteria for that component. Then complete the rubric matrix by describing three levels of achievement for each criterion.

Performance Indicators Reflected in the Foregoing Graph Activities (Using the January 1996 Learning Results draft)

Visual/performing arts
3-4 Recognizes how the elements of visual arts can be manipulated to persuade

August 1997
Maine Educational Media Association

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