Communicating Through Visuals

Overview

In lesson 20 of 24, students apply their sustainability evidence about Auckland: A Sustainable New Home to the visual component of their assessment. They analyse how maps, graphs, diagrams and infographics communicate ideas, then draft an accurate visual with labels, a source and a clear message.

Learning intentions

• WALT design a visual that communicates sustainability evidence clearly.
• WALT select an appropriate visual form for different types of information.
• WALT use labels, titles, units and sources accurately.
• WALT explain how design choices can influence an audience.

Success criteria

• I can choose a map, graph, diagram or infographic that suits my evidence.
• I can create an accurate visual with a title, labels, units where needed, and a source.
• I can communicate one clear message about a sustainable new home in Auckland.
• I can check that my visual is accessible and does not mislead the audience.

Curriculum links

• Social Sciences — analysing data and sources, making decisions, and evaluating significant challenges.
• Social Sciences — understanding how places change and how societies function and change in a globalised world.
• Social Sciences — examining inequality, ethics, power, governance and human rights in complex contexts.
• Social Sciences practices — using sources, visual data, dialogue and communication to support social sciences understanding.

Lesson structure (70 minutes)

1. 0–7 min · Hook and retrieval. Open with the visual hook and learning goals showing two contrasting representations of the same Auckland sustainability evidence, and ask, “Which visual would most influence a new resident, and why?” Students silently identify differences, then pair-share one design choice that affects meaning. Invite two responses and connect to evidence gathered in earlier lessons.

2. 7–18 min · Analyse effective examples. Use the example map, graph, diagram and infographic slides to model a quick visual-literacy routine: notice, interpret, question. Teacher highlights titles, scale or axes, units, symbols, colour, labels, source information, intended audience and the message. Students complete the “notice–interpret–question” prompts on the visual analysis and drafting worksheet for two examples, identifying one strength and one possible misleading feature.

3. 18–28 min · Explicit teaching: choosing and building visuals. Demonstrate on the worked visual and construction checklist how to match evidence to form: location and access suit a map; comparisons or change over time suit a graph; processes suit a diagram; several connected evidence types suit an infographic. Model graph essentials explicitly: named axes, even intervals, units, accurate plotting, a descriptive title and a source. Students help identify what is missing from an intentionally incomplete example and explain the consequence.

4. 28–35 min · Plan the message. Distribute the visual analysis and drafting worksheet and ask students to select one sustainability claim from their assessment evidence. Teacher conferences with students, checking that the proposed visual answers “What does this show about Auckland: A Sustainable New Home?” Students write their audience, key message, evidence source and chosen format, using sentence frames such as “My visual shows that…” and “This format is suitable because…”.

5. 35–58 min · Independent design workshop. Students draft their visual on the worksheet or use a digital tool, including a clear title, accurate data or symbols, labels, source and a short message. Teacher circulates for mini-conferences, gives explicit graph support where needed, and checks that students distinguish evidence from opinion. Students may work on paper or digitally, and can use a template or create their own layout. At the halfway point, pause for a two-minute self-check against the success criteria.

6. 58–66 min · Accessibility and peer critique. Use the peer-review prompts and accessibility checklist to guide a structured review: “What is the message?”, “What evidence supports it?”, “What is clear?”, and “What could confuse or exclude a viewer?” In pairs, students give one specific strength and one actionable suggestion. They check readable text size, colour contrast, meaningful labels, uncluttered layout and whether the visual can be understood without relying on colour alone.

7. 66–70 min · Plenary and next step. Return to the plenary and assessment reminder. Students complete the final boxes on the visual analysis and drafting worksheet: “My clearest message is…”, “I still need to improve…”, and “My source is…”. Collect drafts or photograph digital work, and explain that the next lesson will revise visuals and integrate them into the full assessment.

Resources

• the introduction, examples, modelling, workshop instructions, peer review and plenary slide deck
• the visual analysis and drafting worksheet
• Students’ Auckland sustainability evidence and previously recorded sources
• Graph paper, rulers, pencils, coloured pencils and erasers
• Devices and an approved graphing, mapping or presentation tool
• Visual or infographic templates
• Projector or interactive display
• Accessibility checklist displayed or printed by the teacher

Assessment

• During example analysis, listen for students distinguishing observation, interpretation and judgement, and question unsupported claims.
• During planning and drafting, check format choice, data accuracy, source use, labels, message clarity and accessibility.
• Use the completed worksheet and draft as formative evidence. Identify one common need to reteach before final assessment production.

Differentiation

• Provide templates with labelled spaces for title, evidence, source and message; offer a choice of paper or digital production and allow students to explain ideas orally before writing.
• Give explicit graph instruction using a partially completed model, worked example and a checklist for axes, intervals, units, plotting and source. Conference first with students who need support selecting evidence.
• For Pasefika and Bengali English-language learners, pre-teach and display terms such as evidence, source, trend, compare, proportion, sustainable and audience. Use visuals, gestures, bilingual dictionaries, partner rehearsal and sentence frames; accept labelled sketches and oral explanation while developing precise English.
• Support ELLP visual, reading, listening, speaking and writing development through teacher think-alouds, repeated instructions in short steps, structured pair talk, word banks, exemplars and opportunities to revise after feedback. Consider screen magnification, dyslexia-friendly fonts, reduced copying and high-contrast colours for students with additional learning needs.

Extension

• Combine two data types, such as a location map and comparison graph, while ensuring the relationship is explained and the audience is not misled.
• Add a short annotation explaining the reliability or limitation of the source and how this affects the sustainability claim.
• Redesign the visual for a different audience, such as Auckland Council, a whānau, or a new migrant family, and justify the design changes.