English · Year 7 · Informational Worlds · Term 3

Visual Literacy in Informational Media

Analyzing how infographics, charts, graphs, and photographs support and sometimes influence informational texts.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9E7LA09
• AC9E7LY02

About This Topic

Visual literacy in media is the ability to analyze and interpret how non-textual elements, such as infographics, charts, and photographs, support and enhance informational texts. In Year 7, students explore how these elements can simplify complex data or, conversely, introduce bias into a factual story. This topic aligns with ACARA's focus on analyzing how visual features work together with text to create meaning in multimodal informational texts.

Students investigate the relationship between a caption and its image, and how the placement of a chart can influence a reader's interpretation of the surrounding text. This topic comes alive when students can act as 'data designers,' creating their own infographics and analyzing how different visual choices change the 'message' of the data.

Key Questions

1. Explain how an infographic can simplify complex data for a general audience.
2. Critique the ways images can be used to bias a reader's view of a factual event.
3. Analyze the relationship between a caption and the image it describes in conveying information.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze how specific visual elements in an infographic, such as color, icons, and layout, simplify complex data for a Year 7 audience.
• Critique the potential for bias in photographs used in news articles, identifying how framing or selection can influence reader perception.
• Explain the relationship between a visual element (e.g., chart, photograph) and its accompanying caption in conveying a specific message.
• Design a simple infographic to represent a set of data, making deliberate visual choices to communicate a clear message.
• Compare how two different infographics presenting the same data use visual strategies to emphasize different aspects of the information.

Before You Start

Identifying Main Ideas and Supporting Details in Texts

Why: Students need to be able to identify the core message of a text before analyzing how visual elements support or alter that message.

Understanding Different Text Types (e.g., Narrative, Informational)

Why: Students should have a foundational understanding of informational texts to analyze how visual literacy enhances or influences them.

Key Vocabulary

Infographic	A visual representation of information or data, designed to present complex information quickly and clearly. It often combines text, images, and charts.
Visual Bias	The way images or visual elements can subtly influence a reader's opinion or understanding of a topic, often by presenting information in a selective or suggestive manner.
Caption	A title or short explanation accompanying an illustration, photograph, or chart, which helps to identify or explain the visual content.
Data Visualization	The graphical representation of information and data, using elements like charts, graphs, and maps to make complex data more accessible and understandable.
Multimodal Text	A text that combines two or more modes of communication, such as written language, images, sound, and visual design, to create meaning.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Images and charts are always objective and 'true'.

What to Teach Instead

Visuals can be just as biased as words. Through the 'Caption Challenge,' students learn that how an image is framed or labeled can completely change its meaning.

Common Misconception

Infographics are just for decoration.

What to Teach Instead

Infographics are a functional way to communicate data. Deconstructing them helps students see that every icon and color choice is a deliberate attempt to make information easier (or harder) to understand.

Active Learning Ideas

Infographic Deconstruction

In small groups, students are given a complex infographic. They must identify the 'main message' and then list three visual techniques (e.g., color, icons, font size) used to make that message clear to the audience.

45 min·Small Groups

The Caption Challenge

Pairs are given the same photograph but two different captions (one positive, one negative). They discuss how the caption changes their perception of what is happening in the photo and share their findings with the class.

30 min·Pairs

Bias in the News Gallery Walk

Display news photos from different sources covering the same event. Students circulate and note how different camera angles or cropping might bias the reader's view of the event.

40 min·Individual

Real-World Connections

• Journalists and graphic designers at news organizations like the BBC or The Sydney Morning Herald use infographics and carefully selected photographs to explain complex events, such as election results or scientific discoveries, to the public.
• Marketing professionals create visual advertisements and product packaging that utilize charts, graphs, and images to persuade consumers, influencing their purchasing decisions.
• Scientists and researchers present their findings at conferences and in publications using charts and graphs to make complex data understandable to a wider audience.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

Provide students with a news article featuring an infographic and a photograph. Ask them to write one sentence explaining how the infographic simplifies data and one sentence describing how the photograph might influence their view of the event.

Quick Check

Present students with two different infographics that present the same data set but with different visual emphasis. Ask them to identify one key difference in how the data is presented and explain what message each infographic highlights.

Discussion Prompt

Pose the question: 'How can a caption change the meaning of a photograph?' Ask students to share examples of images where the caption significantly alters their interpretation, discussing specific word choices and their impact.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can an infographic simplify complex data?

Infographics use visual metaphors, icons, and color-coding to group information and highlight patterns. This allows the brain to process large amounts of data much faster than reading a long list of numbers or a dense paragraph.

In what ways can images be used to bias a reader?

Images can bias a reader through 'framing' (what is left out), camera angles (making someone look powerful or weak), and lighting. A caption can also 'anchor' an image's meaning, telling the reader exactly how to interpret what they see.

How can active learning help students with visual literacy?

Active learning, like the 'Infographic Deconstruction,' moves students from being passive consumers to active analysts. By 'breaking' the visual apart, they learn to see the individual choices made by the designer, which builds their critical thinking skills.

Which ACARA standards relate to visual literacy?

The key standards are AC9E7LA09, which involves analyzing how visual features create meaning, and AC9E7LY02, which focuses on deconstructing and creating multimodal informational texts.

From the Blog

25+ Social Emotional Learning Activities for Every Classroom: A CASEL-Aligned Guide

Discover 25+ evidence-backed social emotional learning activities aligned to CASEL's 5 competencies, for inclusive classrooms and teacher wellbeing.