2018 Snapshots: Eight colorful graphs and charts capture current global statistics--from religions of the world to cities with the most Starbucks locations.

PositionLESSON PLAN: CRITICAL THINKING, INFOGRAPHICS

Analyze the Article

1 Set Focus: Pose essential questions to guide discussion: What purpose do infographics serve? Why do many publications include graphs and charts like these?

2 Read and Discuss: students should study the charts and graphs, then answer these questions:

* What picture do these graphs paint of the United States? (Sample answer: Based on the infographies, one can tell that Americans spend a lot of time watching TV, that they tend to get married later in life than people in many other countries, and that they do not use as much wind and solar energy as people in many other nations.)

* Which of these graphs would you expect to change the most from year to year? Why? (Answers will vary. One can expect that data on religion and language would change very slowly, so these graphs would probably look similar from year to year. Data on the number of Starbucks locations and top Instagrammed places are tied to economic conditions and popular culture, so these graphs might see more fluctuation.)

* What might a city's having a large number of Starbucks locations tell you about that city? (You can infer that cities with large numbers of Starbucks locations probably have strong economies and, if they are outside the United States, have been influenced by American culture.)

* What factors do you think might affect the average age at which people marry in a country? (Economic conditions, religious and cultural norms, and the youthfulness of the population could all influence the average age at which people marry.)

Extend & Assess

3 Writing Prompt

Pick one chart or graph from the collection that you find especially interesting or surprising. Write a paragraph explaining why.

4 Quiz

Assess graph-reading skills and comprehension with the quiz on p. T9.

5 Assignment

For homework, have students gather data for a new graph that they think would be an informative addition to the Snapshots collection.

Additional Resources Upfrontmagazine.com

Print or project:

* Article Quiz (online and on p. T9)

Video: 200 Countries in 200 Years

QUIZ

Snapshots (Open Book)

Use the infographies to answer the questions.

  1. What is the only U.S. structure on the list of the world's 10 tallest buildings?_____

  2. How much taller is the United Arab Emirates' Burj Khalifa than China's Shanghai Tower?______

  3. What percentage of the global population practices Hinduism?_____

  4. Nearly a quarter of the world's population practices what religion?_____

  5. Which language has more...

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