Infographic Impact

Context

Curriculum Area: Technology
Strand: Technological Practice
Sub-strand: Outcome Development and Evaluation
Curriculum Level: Level 3 (appropriate for Year 7 students, ages 11–12)
Unit Title: Canva Creations Unleashed
Lesson Number: 4 of 6
Lesson Duration: 60 minutes
Class Size: 20 students

In this lesson, students deepen their understanding of digital design and visual communication by exploring data visualisation through the medium of infographics. The work builds toward NCEA-aligned understanding (ref: Design and Visual Communication – NCEA Learning Matrix) by supporting design thinking, use of tools, and clarity of visual messaging.

---

Learning Intentions

By the end of the lesson, students will:

• Understand what an infographic is and what makes it effective.
• Explore techniques to present information visually using Canva.
• Apply basic design principles to create a meaningful infographic.
• Begin to reflect on audience needs and message clarity in visual presentation.

---

Success Criteria

Students will be successful when they can:

• Identify at least three features of an effective infographic.
• Use Canva to design a simple infographic with a clear theme and logical layout.
• Present information visually with a balance of text and icons/images.
• Demonstrate decision-making about colours, fonts, and layout for clarity and engagement.

---

Keywords

Infographic, Canva, visual hierarchy, data visualisation, iconography, contrast, balance, call to action

---

Te Ao Māori Integration

Design thinking practices today draw on principles found in te ao Māori, such as:

• Whanaungatanga: Collaborating with peers to share perspectives on design.
• Manaakitanga: Ensuring designs are made with empathy, care, and respect for the audience.
• Mātauranga Māori: Encouraging the use of culturally responsive imagery, symbols, and topics where appropriate.

Kupu Māori (Māori words for this session): pūmahara (idea), whakaahua (image), kōrero (message)

---

Resources Required

• Devices with Internet access (Canva.com account required – free educator version recommended)
• Projector/screen for teacher modelling
• Printed cheat sheet of Canva infographic tools
• Pre-prepared exemplar infographic on a topic relevant to students (e.g. “Why We Should Drink More Water”)
• Infographic Planning Worksheet (paper or digital)
• Whiteboard and markers

---

Lesson Breakdown (60 minutes)

⏱ 0–10 mins | Ignition – What Is an Infographic?

Teacher-Led Discussion

• Show students 2–3 examples of effective infographics on screen.
• Ask: What do all these examples have in common?
• Record key ideas on the whiteboard – visuals, symbols, limited text, colour use, clarity, big message.

Mini Input
Introduce the key design principles:

• Hierarchy: what the eye sees first
• Balance: how text/images “sit” on the page
• Contrast: light and dark, colour pairing
• Consistency: font and symbol uniformity

Highlight the real-world purpose of infographics—used in health campaigns, school posters, social media, and even whānau notices.

---

⏱ 10–15 mins | Plan It Out

Hand out the Infographic Planning Worksheet. Students choose a topic and brainstorm:

• Who is the audience?
• What is the key message?
• What 3–5 pieces of information should be included?

Provide prompts to help (or pre-curated ideas for ākonga needing scaffolding):

• "How to Reduce Plastic at School"
• "Best Karaoke Songs of the Year"
• "Top 5 Energy-Boosting Snacks"
• "Netball vs Rugby: Which Wins?"

Encourage students to anchor their idea in something relevant or local (school, whenua, or whānau).

---

⏱ 15–20 mins | Demo + Scaffold in Canva

Teacher Demonstration (Projector)

• Log in to Canva and select an Infographic template.
• Model adding:
  • A title with a headline font
  • An icon-based image
  • A chunk of text inside a box
  • A colour change using the colour palette

Pro Tip for Teacher: Use a student helper up front to choose the colours/font—it keeps engagement high!

---

⏱ 20–45 mins | Create + Design

Guided Practice
Students begin creating their infographic in Canva using their plan. Teacher roams to support:

• Check alignment to their plan
• Encourage they use no more than 30 words
• Push for “showing” over “telling” using icons or illustrations
• Limit 2–3 colours and 1–2 fonts

Fast Finishers:

• Add animation
• Embed one statistic or chart
• Add te reo Māori elements such as a kupu title or whakataukī

---

⏱ 45–55 mins | Peer Feedback Carousel

Pairs rotate around the room looking at 2–3 other infographics and fill out a "Two Stars and a Wish" card:

• ⭐ One visual strength
• ⭐ One content strength
• 🌟 One thing they could try as a next step

Teacher models respectful sentence starters on the board:

• “I liked the way you...”
• “One thing you could try next is...”

---

⏱ 55–60 mins | Reflect + Exit Ticket

Whole-class share back:

• “What’s one thing you learnt about designing infographics today?”
• “What’s one thing that worked really well in your own poster?”

Exit Slip (collected digitally or on paper):

• I am proud of…
• Next time I will change...
• I think my infographic is effective because...

---

Differentiation & Support

For diverse learners:

• Offer printed icons/stickers for students not confident with Canva
• Allow infographic to be hand-drawn if tech is a barrier
• Template prompts and sentence scaffolds for ELL (English language learners)

Extensions:

• Create an infographic to explain a mātauranga Māori concept
• Link to another class (e.g., science statistics → visual explanation)

---

Assessment Opportunity

Informal formative assessment through:

• Observation of engagement and participation
• Review of infographic drafts
• Feedback given during peer carousel
• Quality of self-reflection on exit slips

Aligns with Technology Achievement Objectives at Level 3:

“Relate the outcome of their design to intended purpose, explaining how key features address the need(s) or opportunity.”

---

Teacher Reflection Prompt (Post-Lesson)

• How confidently are students using design principles?
• Are students beginning to think about audience intention?
• What scaffolds worked best for student planning?

---

Next Lesson Preview

Lesson 5 – "Pitch Perfect"
Students will refine their infographic based on feedback and prepare to present their work to a small audience. They will work on descriptive and persuasive language to "sell" their infographic idea in a 30-second pitch.

---