Informational Graphics: the Visual Dimension What Does That Mean?
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[ABCDE] VOLUME 7, IssUE 5 Informational Graphics The Visual Dimension INSIDE Meet the Invasion Making a The Price Graphics of the Smarter of Protection 8 Editor 19 Critters 22 Card 27 January 8, 2008 © 2008 THE WASHINGTON POST COMPANY VOLUME 7, IssUE 5 An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program A Word About Informational Graphics Lesson: Informational graphics Cave drawings, mathematic charts, troop movement diagrams and Metro communicate information quickly and maps. Through the ages, humans have instinctively known that visuals accurately, explain complex ideas, and communicate information quickly. draw the reader into text. Informational graphics are an important tool in communicating news and explaining complex ideas. The News Art department of The Post produces thousands of artworks each year — the maps, charts and informational graphics that help readers comprehend stories quickly. These are drawn by hand, mixed media or computer assisted. “Our latest Level: Low to high interest is in 3-dimensional graphics software that gives us the ability to Subjects: Art, Computer Graphics, model, for example, anything from the international space station to a Mathematics, Science mosquito. Our cartographers are experimenting with GIS-based mapping Related Activity: Language Arts, systems and satellite photography,” states Michael Keegan, AME/News Art. Geography, History, Technology They are the work of 4 managers, 2 designers, 6 informational graphics specialists, 3 cartographers, 10 feature section designers, 2 part-time staff and 5 graphics editors (assigned to National, Metro, Foreign, Business, Food, Home, Health and Sports). They please the eye, inform and educate Post readers every day. NIE Online Guide Editor — Carol Lange The examples that are included in this guide reflect the variety and types Art Editor — Carol Porter of informational graphics to be found in The Post. Use them in art and language arts, biology and health, mathematics and science, history and Contributing to this guide: KidsPost technology classes. They reflect career opportunities and inter-disciplinary Deputy Editor Brenna Maloney drew studies. They are sources of information, models and inspiration for upon her experience as Metro graphics projects. editor and Features graphics editor at The Washington Post and graphics editor at National Geographic Magazine to answer all of our questions. She provides insight into the role of the graphics editor, working as a liaison between major sections of the newspaper and News Art’s artists and cartographers. Washington Post News Art Assistant Managing Editor Michael Keegan advised and gave his full support to this project. Send comments about this guide to: Margaret Kaplow, Educational Services Manager, [email protected] 2 January 8, 2008 © 2008 THE WASHINGTON POST COMPANY VOLUME 7, IssUE 5 An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program Informational Graphics: The Visual Dimension What Does That Mean? The informational graphics, • What does the graph indicate? Informational graphics are visual also called infographics, in this • How does this graph differ from presentations of data, complex ideas, guide stand alone to communicate an informational graph that News locations and functions. They are the information and model Art or students might prepare on graph, chart or art communicating ideas interdisciplinary projects. Select the same topic? [Toles includes that can be hard to understand with words from the suggested activities ones no statistics, no time frame, no alone. that are appropriate for the age of source of data.] At The Washington Post, the News Art your students, time available and • Who is taking the test? department creates the infographs — maps, curriculum fit. • What additional message is charts, and illustrations that help readers conveyed through word choice comprehend stories quickly. Define Infographics (“tall,” “short,” and “like”) in the A map can be as simple as intersecting Give students The Post. With a written response? streets or as detailed as a relief map in crayon or marker they are to circle • From the continuation of the which mountains, ice flow and animal in each section anything that is not “answer” found in the lower right movement are represented. a headline, story, photograph and of the box, what do students Charts, whether fever-line, pie or bar, caption or an advertisement. What believe is Toles’ perspective? Ask with clarity display numeric relationships remains are maps, art illustrations, them to write a brief summary of that may be hard to describe succinctly in charts and graphs. This is the work his main idea. a story. Timelines, flow diagrams and poll of the News Art department. • Do students agree with Toles’ charts illustrate detailed information. The artists and cartographers in point of view? Why? Informational graphics place readers at News Art create the visuals that • Is the graph an effective device the scene. communicate ideas that can be hard to convey his commentary in They show the physical layers and to understand with words alone. compact, visual format? complicated movements of machines and These informational graphics Teachers might provide students humans, inanimate objects and living — maps, charts and graphs with the facts, scores from beings. (fever-line, pie or bar), timelines, international testing in math and flow diagrams, poll charts and science covering a ten- to 25-year art illustrations help readers period. Have students plot the comprehend stories quickly. numbers. Do they indicate the same Teachers may use “Informational decline or has Toles exaggerated to Graphics Collection” at this time make his point? to acquaint students with the many types of devices. Meet a Graphics Editor The liaison between the reporters Read the Graphic Cartoon in the sections of The Washington Editorial cartoons are often based Post and the News Art department on events and actions. Although is the graphics editor. Read and they have a point of view, they are discuss our interview with Brenna more than the cartoonist’s opinion. Maloney, former Metro graphics Research and the results of studies editor and Features graphics editor inform the images that appear for The Washington Post and new before the reader. Give students deputy editor, KidsPost. “Test: Interpret This Graph” Maloney gives insight into the by Washington Post editorial job and the process of creating an cartoonist Tom Toles. Questions informational graphic. In addition that you may discuss include: • What is the topic of the graph? CONTINUED ON pagE 4 3 January 8, 2008 © 2008 THE WASHINGTON POST COMPANY VOLUME 7, IssUE 5 An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program CONTINUED FROM pagE 3 Science reporter David A. Read About It Fahrenthold covers the risk to a focus on a career, the interview of extinction caused by the The Newspaper Designer’s Handbook can be used in conjunction with alteration of natural ecosystems. Tim Harrower graphics for which she was the Give students “Animals Struggle McGraw-Hill, 2007 graphics editor and/or reporter: With Effects of Global Warming” In its sixth edition, the step-by-step guide “Chew on This,” “Invasion of the (third in the monthly series, In includes creation of maps, charts and Critters,” and “Sinus Surgery.” the Greenhouse). Looking only at diagrams as well as layout and typography You might ask students to prepare the globe portion and headline, guides. The examples are excellent and the an organization chart of News Art can students tell where and what suggested exercises develop student skills. based upon information provided in animals are “struggling”? What do the interview. Compare it with the they already know about any of A Practical Guide to Graphics Reporting: organizational chart provided in this these regions? Read and discuss the Information Graphics for Print, Web and guide. (See “Informational Graphics explanatory copy. Note and discuss Broadcast Collection.”) the use of black, stylized images Jennifer George-Palilonis and one color. Focal Press, 2006 Review the Types of Infographics How to create diagrams, charts, maps and Distribute “Informational “As Temperatures Rise, Health other information graphics. Includes CD- Graphics Collection” Students are Could Decline” (fifth in the series) ROM with interactive, animated information to find examples of the devices is written by Post reporter David graphics. listed. Teachers may follow-up Brown. Discuss what is understood this activity with an application/ about the impact of climate change The Best of Newspaper Design decision making problem. Give on human health as presented Society of News Design them data from your current in the opening paragraphs of the Rockport Publishers, annual study. Ask students to create an article. The remainder of the article A collection of professional winners in informational graphic using the reports on the five areas into which categories including art and illustration, data, selecting the best format in researchers group health effects news, and information graphics which to present the data. — heat stress, extreme weather, air pollution, waterborne and food- Illustrate a Concept Borne Disease, and Vector-Borne The successful informational Disease. News Art artist Patterson graphic draws the reader to and Clark illustrates the concepts in the into the story, explains complex “Health Risks of Global Warming” ideas and makes the point quickly.