Posts Tagged: conventions

Analyzing Visual Representations of Information to Determine Conventions

Creating Visual Representations of Information

• Students collect data and practice representing it in a visual form (table, graph, illustration, etc.).
• The class can compare different representations and discuss what each version emphasizes/deemphasizes, etc.
• Jessie’s favorite version—Colors of M&Ms
  • Provide each student/group with a package of M&Ms. Ask them to count the number of M&Ms in each color. (At this point, the whole class could create a table with “actual per packet,” “total,” and “average” information represented.)
  • Ask each student/group to create a visual representation comparing the amount of candies in each color included in their packet.
  • Give students information about the reported color break-down, as provided on the M&Ms website. (See handout)
  • Ask each student/group to create a second visual, comparing their actual color distribution with the company’s reported distribution.

Repurposing a project for a different audience

• As the examples above demonstrate, re-composed assignments could include a visual component—to inform, to persuade, to clarify, etc.
• The re-composed product also could take an entirely visual or multimedia form:
  • Written proposal (to persuade) –> Video argument (to garner support)
  • Written synthesis of field research (to inform) –> Admissions video (to recruit)
• Or vice-versa:
  • Video argument (to peers) –> Written proposal (to stakeholders)
  • Clustering (to illustrate relationships) –> Analysis paper (to compare one relationship in more detail)
• When these types of activities are paired with a reflective analysis of the choices students are making, they facilitate meta-discussion about conventions and expectations, as related to audience and purpose.

Rhetorical Situation Analysis: Require students to analyze writing from two different rhetorical situations, facilitating comparison of the writing samples in a later reflective assignment.

Interview with a panel of writers from several disciplines

Repurposing a project for a different audience

• Students could re-compose a work for a different audience and/or purpose.
  • A formal academic paper à a summative memo for a supervisor à a presentation for a high school class, supported by a PowerPoint and a handout
  • A formal academic paper à a poster presentation for SURF
  • A Pendulum article à a feature piece for an admissions brochure
• Teachers can enhance these projects by requiring reflective essays in which students explain the choices they made for each form of the project. How are they appealing to their audiences? What did they add/cut and why? How did their use of evidence change? Etc.