Created by Rob Lamb
Time: 15-20 minutes
Resources, Materials, Technology:
- Infographic of your choice (enough copies for the class)
Take Home:
Being able to think about word choice is important. Infographic should have few words and need to be concise this activity works toward both those items. Using scientific names for your subject matter lends credibility to you and your work. Clearly explaining a topic in a few words also better keeps the interest of the-would be reader. Added bonus working or search terms and more effective search terms is a soft skill that is easily transferred to many area of the students’ education.
Lesson Structure and Procedures:
Day 1: 15-20 minutes in length
- Place students into groups of 3-4
- Hand out infographic and blank sheet of lined paper.
- Give Students a couple minutes to discuss the infographic in their group
- Have student write down in exactly 14 words (must be complete sentence or two) what the infographic is about.
- Have all groups share out and as a class discuss if any words or phrases used have more strength or clarity than others.
- Next have groups create 7 word sentence that describes the infographic.
- Again have all groups share out and as a class discuss if any words or phrases would be more effective for describing the infographic than others.
- -Now have the groups come up with 3 Search Terms to describe the infographic that would let you find it on the internet. (Note: they may not use the word infographic or any words in the title.)
- Have the class choose the best ones and go try to find the infographic on the first page of your favorite search engine.
Follow Up/Extensions:
- Keep trying search terms and search engines to try to get your infographic to be your first item on the page.
- Have students come up with a list of tricks and tips to search more effectively for your topic of choice. (Ex. find he scientific name for something instead of the common name as it tends to bring better results and data if the scientific name is used.)
- Have them try a 7 word distillation as a form or peer review when student infographic are going through a peer edit. If the reader can’t explain you infographic in 7 words then the topic is not well-