We are an increasingly data driven society. But one of the problems with data is the presentation of facts and figures for the masses that is easily digestible. The solution? Infographics. Infographics are a great way to present information, or large sums of data in a visually appealing medium to best suit a targeted audience. Not only are the visuals of infographics appealing, but it also allows students to hone their visual and graphic design skills that have a place in the 21st century workforce. Another reason that I like infographics in the classroom is that it gives those artistic students, as well as computer savvy students, a chance to shine. English class in high school can get a bit monotonous (though I am actively trying to change those conceptions in my classroom) with standardized testing and common core implementation which leaves little time for extension through the arts and sciences. Applying inforgraphics is a great way to still meet the state’s rigorous standards while giving the students a bit of creative freedom to use 21st century technology and build visual and spatial skills. One example of this in my classroom is a project highlighting the differences in characteristics between a hero and an anti-hero. Allowing students to explore a concept through visualization not only enhances learning, but also helps give them a greater connection to the piece. Many students struggle with this connection in Kurt Vonnegut’s novel Slaughterhouse Five because it does not follow a simple chronological plot pattern, nor is the antagonist, Billy Pilgrim, a hero archetype. Billy Pilgrim is an interesting character, and not your normal hero by any means. In fact, he is an anti-hero. One of the common misconceptions with the term is that people often associate the anti-hero with a villain. But instead, an anti-hero is just someone who shows the complete opposite characteristics of the traditional hero archetype. Billy is anything but a savior, though he does help highlight the insanity of war and the inglorious nature of death. The following is a formative assessment given at the midpoint of the class novel, Slaughterhouse Five to help students visualize Billy as our protagonist, anti-hero, and help bring meaning to his existence. Overview: Infographics are visual representations of information that can be used to express learning while strengthening information literacy skills. Infographics can demonstrate their knowledge in an engaging and creative way by expressing large amounts of information and showing relationships between concepts in a concise and representative way. Infographics can be used to describe relationships, statistics, hierarchies, or timelines very easily through the use of web-based infographic creators such as easel.ly.com or piktochart.com. Using infographics as an authentic assessment also introduces the opportunity for students to learn about media design principles and copyright laws. Directions: After exploring the content in the first 5 chapters of Slaughterhouse 5, the use of irony, and characterization, use easel.ly.com or piktochart.com to create an infographic that compares Billy Pilgrim to our traditional thoughts and images of a hero. In other words you are defining what a traditional hero is, and creating a visual defining the anti-hero by highlighting what Billy Pilgrim is not. Your infographic should:
Reference Points and Ideas: 1.) Billy's Physical appearance as compared to a hero 2.) The ironic survivability of Billy during WWII as compared to the scouts, generals, Edgar Derby, etc. 3.) Billy's wife as compared to that of a lovely maiden 4.) Billy' actions and thoughts about his wife as opposed to that of a chivalrous man. 5.) Willingly submitting to capture by the Tralfamadorians and adopting their deterministic mindset of "So it goes", compared to a traditional hero. Creating infographics can be difficult for many though, as visual and spatial relationships are an acquired skill. Giving students the option to work in groups when creating these visuals can help alleviate any stress students might be having who are not as artistically inclined. I personally, am pretty bad at art so having this option would give me the ability to still meet the research and interpretation requirements of this piece, while working with someone more inclined to visual representation. In the end, this is just one of a few infographic assessments used to help bring literature to life for my students.
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