We have been looking at different forms of visual information recently as part of our non-fiction study. Some visual information formats such as the scale drawing are familiar to students but others, such as the procedural drawing or the visual glossary are new. We are learning about visual information to enhance our note taking but also to be able to share the information we learn in our personal projects in interesting, enlightening ways.
Today we pushed our study farther. Scientific American has a monthly feature called "Graphic Science" in which they share information graphically. I handed out one of these graphs that explored space probes Download graphic in a variety of different ways. I told the kids to expect to feel confused when they looked at the graph and that their job was just to try to figure out one piece of information the graph was sharing. It was important that they know that as an adult I puzzle over complex graphs like this, trying to put together what it means. When they are tackling work like this, they need to know that confusion is a stage of figuring it out.
Sure enough, in less than a minute we heard our first "OH!" Then it became a chorus. Kids were amazed at some of the facts they found. "Cassini cost $3,400 million dollars!" "This one is as old as I am!" "This one jumped from one asteroid to another." "This one is landing this year!" "This one is an estimate – it says it's landing next year but how do they know for sure?" The Herons were very excited at having unlocked such a complex graphic. With greater confidence they tackled another graphic about contact patterns in a hospital Download Graphic (which seemed like a good entree into yet another hand washing conversation!)
And now for something completely different…skiing pictures. The Herons are the unofficial keepers of the skis – we get them up from the basement and get everything organized for the season. This was from our second outing. Amazingly, all the students are able to get ready to ski in about five minutes and we can be back in our room six minutes after I ask kids to stop skiing. Hopefully we'll get out again soon.
The Rookery 
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