BIG 6 LESSON PLANALGEBRA 1 - NINTH GRADE

LINEAR EQUATIONS & INFOGRAPHICLM555 - Dr. Betty MorrisInstructional Design Unit

Cari Golden, Rhonda Nolin, & Suzanne Sullins

OBJECTIVESStudents will research topics related to slope and linear equations.

Students will use the BIG6 research model to define the task, determine valid resources, locate information, compile research, and

synthesize data to create a digital infographic.  Students will present digital infographics to classmates, the

teacher and the library media specialist. Students will evaluate the quality of his/her infographic and the

quality of his/her classmates‘ infographics.

MATERIALS Projector/Smart-Board

Computers with Internet ConnectionPrint sources

(e.g., books, textbooks, reference materials, magazines)Infographic information sheet

Examples of stellar infographicsBIG6 Research Model checklist and planning sheet

PROCEDURES: The teacher will introduce the lesson

with the following infographic The infographic serves two purposes:

•REVIEW of the previous day’s lesson• PREVIEW of the upcoming project - infographics

Students will take notes, record journal entries, and actively discuss

the questions that are presented. ~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Immediately following the lesson review with the teacher, the media specialist will facilitate the BIG 6 lesson plan.

BIG 6 / INFOGRAPHICS LESSONDay 1

Introduction to InfographicsIntroduction to the BIG 6 research modelOverview of project expectations/rubric

Begin BIG 6 Handout: DEFINE THE TASK - Decide topic & type of infographic

DETERMINE VALID RESOURCES - Internet, magazines, textbook...LOCATE INFORMATION - Begin research

***HOMEWORK***Continue research & evaluating infographics

**Remember to post questions on Extended Learning Blog

BIG 6 / INFOGRAPHICS LESSONDay 2

LOCATE INFORMATION - Complete research SYNTHESIS - Compile data for the infographic

Create infographicReview Rubric

***HOMEWORK***Complete infographic

complete BIG6 handout (SELF-EVALUATION) study for posttest

**Remember to post questions on Extended Learning Blog ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Day 3 EVALUATION - Infographic presentations

Posttest & Self-Assessment

INTRODUCTION TO INFOGRAPHICSWhat is an infographic?

Visual representations of information, data and knowledge.  An infographic contains integrated text which combines paragraphs, headings, visual

elements and design features that support and give context to one another. An infographic contains nonlinguistic interpretations - mental pictures, graphic

representations of information, and even physical sensations.   

Why use infographics?It promotes visual literacy, which is the ability to create, interpret, negotiate, and

make meaning from information presented in the form of an image. Infographics can be used to display your assignment by summarizing the results of your research. The

process of an infographic creation tests your skills in sketching/planning, researching and distilling large amounts of data, as well as graphic literacy. The ultimate goal is

to present a lot of complex information in an easy to read format.

How do you create an infographic?First we will look at different types of simple infographics.  

We will also look at more complex infographics that encompass a complete concept and all of the elements related to the concept.  These will be the type of infographics

you will be creating for your linear equation/slope research project.  

DiagramsMaps & Graphs

SIMPLE INFOGRAPHICS

Timelines & Word Art

Informational Timeline

Statistical Data

BIG 6 Research ModelHow are you going to create your infographic?

STEP ONE - TASK DEFINITION

WHAT IS THE ASSIGNMENT?Research a topic of interest that relates to slope.

Compile data to create a specific type of infographic.

WHAT INFORMATION DO YOU NEED?What is your goal / outcome of the project or investigation?

Determine your TOPIC. Determine the TYPE of infographic you will create.

What do you already know about this topic?What are the keywords you can use for research?

When is the project due?

POSSIBLE TOPICS...

CommunicationsCell phone plans charge a flat rate and extra for texts

messages/other services. Research different plans and/or different companies. Compare your results graphically.

Which one is the best plan? Why?

Financial

Planning to travel abroad? If you travel outside the United States, you should be familiar with currency

conversion rates since currencies other than U.S. dollars are used in most other countries. In 2009, one US dollar

was equivalent to 0.7749 Euros. Find out the current exchange rate (you can choose a different country).

Explain what the conversion means. Research geographical data of the country to include in your infographic. This could informational or statistical.

In the KitchenHave you ever doubled (halved) a recipe before. Did you know you were solving a linear equation when you did this? Well, you were. Find a favorite recipe - double it and half it, compare the ingredients and discuss how they are related. Graph your results and show the vertical shifts (positive and negative) that occur.

SportsHave you ever heard the phrase - “Let’s hit the slopes?” Research if athletes have a preferred mountain slope.

What makes it perfect? Can slope be too steep? not steep enough? You could also research the effect of the environment on certain slopes and how they have

changed over time. This would make a good timeline.

Health & BodyYou probably have heard about some ratios that are said to exist in the body. For examples, it is often said that if you open your arms wide and measure the length from the fingertips of one hand to the fingertips of the other and compare this to your height, the two measurements

are equal. Do you own investigation? Is it true?

Think about all of the possible sources of information that will help you answer the questions

we asked in Big6 #1 Task Definition.

Where do you start looking for information?What kind of resources do you need?  

website?  reference? newspaper? current information? scholarly research? image? personal interview? audio or video? primary

source? historical information?

MAKE A LIST!

If you need help, ask your media specialist.

STEP TWO - INFORMATION SEEKING

WHERE WILL YOU FIND THE INFORMATION?Online? in print? personal source? database?

HOW TO ACCESS THE INFORMATION YOU NEED?Do you need a password or log in information?

Is a book available for check-out?Can you get photocopies of reference materials?

Are there magazines available that have infographic examples?

STEP THREE - LOCATION & ACCESS

STEP FOUR - USE OF INFORMATION

How will you record the data you find?

STEP FIVE - SYNTHESISHow will you compile the data you have found

for the specific TYPE of infographic?

STEP SIX - EVALUATIONYou should be able to answer “yes” to these questions before you publish your project:

•Is the topic of the infographic specific in nature?•Does the type of infographic support the content being presented?•Are the objects repeated to support various data points and to make it easier for the viewer to understand the infographic? •Do the data visualization formats make the data presented easy for the viewer to understand the information?•Does the infographic include fonts to both complement the content and make the text readable? •Do the color choices enhance the visibility of the infographic? •Does the layout of the infographic adhere to the inverted pyramid style (main point at top, secondary point, then supporting details)?•Does the infographic utilize one of the LATCH (location, alphabetical, timeline, category, or heirarchy) information organization formats to allow the viewer to understand the information in the infographic? •Are full bibliographic citations included for all sources used?

How to use & communicate the information in an ethical manner:We expect you to use information created by others.

Direct quotes, paraphrasing and summarizing are ways you can use another person’s words / ideas in your project.

The MOST IMPORTANT thing about using the work of others is to give them credit for their work (citing your sources).

Ask your TEACHER which method (APA or MLA) she prefers.

Don’t forget to cite your sources in text. (parenthetical citation)Images, audio, video, blog posts, interviews, and other non-

print sources must be cited as well.

Document your sources as you find them, even if you are not sure if you will be using them.

Currency  The timeliness of the information

When was the information published or posted? Has the information been revised or updated?

Is the information current or out-of-date for your topic? Are the links functional?

Relevance  The importance of the information for your needs

    Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question?

    Who is the intended audience?     Is the information at an appropriate level?

    Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining this is one you will use?

    Would you be comfortable using this source for a research paper?

Evaluate Your Sources

Authority  The source of the information

Who is the author/publisher/source/sponsor?

Are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations given?

Is the author a teacher or student of the topic?

Does the author have a reputation?

Is there contact information, such as an e-mail address?

Has the author published works in traditional formats?

Is the author affiliated with an organization?

Does this organization appear to support or sponsor the page?

What does the domain name/URL reveal about the source of the information, if anything?

Evaluate Your Sources - Cont’d

AccuracyThe reliability, truthfulness, and

correctness of the informational contentWhere does the information come from?

Are the original sources of information listed? Can  you verify any of the information in independent sources or from

you own knowledge? Has the information been reviewed or referred?

Does the language or tone seem biased? Are there spelling, grammar, or other typos?

Purpose  The reason the information exists

Are possible biases clearly stated?

Is advertising content vs. informational content easily distinguishable?

Are editorials clearly labeled?

Is the purpose of the page stated? Is the purpose to:  inform? teach? entertain? enlighten? sell? persuade?

Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional, or personal biases?

Evaluate Your Sources - Cont’d

*As you gather your data:

Think about HOW you are going to refine your data and in what way you will represent the data. A fundamental aspect of this

project is that information graphics are interesting because they reveal differences. For this reason refining them and

representing the data derived from their statistical treatment often reveals aspects that otherwise would be confusing, which

often leads to wrong conclusions.

Once data is refined you will have to choose the most effective visual representation or type of infographic.

As you create your infographic: Remember layout, textures and typography effect the overall feel of your design. Typography is one of the

most important key aspects of any design project. Among other things, effective typography can enrich the visual

appearance by adding graphical elements with the written word.  Also remember that varying the colors, reducing

the saturation of what is less important and increasing it for the most relevant data, modifying the typography, the

size of fonts, eliminating everything that doesn’t contribute to showing and clarifying the data (irrelevant grids, redundant data, and unnecessary labels) without

losing relevant information sometimes provides surprisingly improved results.

MATERIALSBIG6 research model checklist and

project guidelines.

EVALUATIONTeacher observation will be used as students research and gather data.A rubric will be used to grade the

student infographics. (MATERIALS TAB)