Visuals in Nonfiction

Visuals in Nonfiction: Analyze and evaluate how graphics and charts clarify, simplify, and organize complex informational texts. Authors often include charts, graphs, and other types of visuals to provide the reader with more information in a clear manner than can be included in the article. Sometimes the visual is referred to in the article; sometimes it just enriches the reader’s experience. Graphs often provide specific information about the topic. As a reader, you can draw certain conclusions about the data, but be careful about assuming or drawing conclusions not provided by the evidence in the chart. Use the answer key available to you to help you understand the chart. Be aware of what information might be left out of the chart, graph, visual, etc. Be aware of how the visual contributes to the author’s purpose and bias in an article that might be supported by the visual.

Let’s look at the following chart together and draw conclusions about it. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/03/opinion/2016-in-charts-and-can- trump-deliver-in-2017.html?_r=0

Assigned articles: All are assigned to you in your mailbox. Read one of the following assigned articles (with some type of visual): “Addicted to Technology” “Can We Stop Whooping Cough” “A Surprise in New Zealand” “The Road to Healthy Eating” “This Test Brought To You By…” “Living With Volcanoes”

Write-to-text Prompt: Evaluate and analyze how the two graphics from the articles you read either clarify, simplify, or organize the complex informational text. You will need to tell me the title of the two articles, a narrow claim (how the articles do it) and details from the text about the two visuals.