English Language Arts · 6th Grade

Active learning ideas

Analyzing Visual Information in Nonfiction

Active learning works well for analyzing visual information because students must interact directly with the data, graphs, and images to uncover meaning. When students compare, translate, or construct visuals themselves, they move beyond passive viewing and develop the habit of questioning what visuals reveal beyond the written text.

• Common Core State Standards
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.7

• 20–35 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Gallery Walk
• 20 min · Pairs

What the Text Doesn't Say

Pairs read a nonfiction passage with an accompanying graph or diagram and write three facts they can learn from the visual that are not stated in the written text. Pairs share with the class to build a collective list of information available only through the visual format.

How does a diagram clarify a process described in the text?

Facilitation Tip

During What the Text Doesn't Say, explicitly model how to scan for information in the visual that is not mentioned in the text by annotating both sources side by side.

What to look for

Provide students with a short nonfiction passage and a related graph. Ask them to write one sentence explaining what the graph shows and one sentence explaining how that information adds to what they learned from the text.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Gallery Walk
• 25 min · Individual

Graph to Paragraph Translation

Students receive a graph or data table with no accompanying text and write a one-paragraph explanation of what the data shows, including the main trend and one specific data point. The class compares paragraphs to discuss which descriptions are most accurate and precise.

Analyze how a photograph enhances the reader's understanding of a historical event.

Facilitation Tip

For Graph to Paragraph Translation, provide a checklist of elements (title, axes, labels) to ensure students analyze all parts of the graph before writing.

What to look for

Present students with a historical photograph and a brief text about the event depicted. Ask: 'How does this photograph change or deepen your understanding of the event described in the text? What specific details in the photo are most important?'

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Gallery Walk
• 20 min · Whole Class

Visual vs. Text: Who Wins?

Teacher presents a nonfiction page where a photo or diagram shows something slightly different from or more nuanced than the written description. The class discusses: if the text and visual conflict, which do you trust, and what would you want to know to decide?

Compare the information presented in a graph with the information presented in the accompanying text.

Facilitation Tip

In Visual vs. Text: Who Wins?, ask students to defend their answer using specific evidence from both the visual and text to avoid vague comparisons.

What to look for

Give students a diagram illustrating a process (e.g., how a plant grows). Ask them to write two sentences: one explaining what the diagram shows and one explaining how it helps them understand the written description of the process.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Gallery Walk
• 35 min · Small Groups

Build the Visual

Groups receive a dense informational paragraph with statistics and relationships. They decide what type of visual , graph, timeline, diagram, or map , would best represent the information and create a rough sketch, then explain their choice of format and what it communicates more efficiently than words.

How does a diagram clarify a process described in the text?

What to look for

Provide students with a short nonfiction passage and a related graph. Ask them to write one sentence explaining what the graph shows and one sentence explaining how that information adds to what they learned from the text.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach visual literacy by giving students structured tasks that require them to compare and integrate text and visuals. Avoid assuming students know how to read graphs or maps—teach the components explicitly and provide guided practice with immediate feedback. Research shows that students learn best when they must explain how visuals add to the text rather than just describe what they see.

Successful learning looks like students actively interpreting visuals to extend written information rather than just confirming what the text says. Students should annotate, translate, or create visuals to demonstrate their understanding of how visuals contribute new information to the text or topic.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During What the Text Doesn't Say, watch for students who assume the visual only confirms the text and skip looking for missing information.

  Direct students to highlight or list information in the visual that is not explained in the text, then write a sentence explaining why that information matters to the topic.

• During Graph to Paragraph Translation, watch for students who only read the title or highest bar and ignore the rest of the graph's details.

  Before writing, ask students to label each axis, note the scale, and identify the trend line or legend, using a checklist to ensure completeness.

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Methods used in this brief

• Gallery Walk