Infographics and Elie Wiesel

“There is divine beauty in learning... To learn means to accept the postulate that life did not begin at my birth. Others have been here before me, and I walk in their footsteps. The books I have read were composed by generations of fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, teachers and disciples. I am the sum total of their experiences, their quests. And so are you.” 
― Elie Wiesel

Elie Wiesel, 1943
Photo Courtesy of: http://perlaworldhistory.blogspot.com/2013/05/elie-wiesel.html

What is an Infographic?

An infographic is a visual or graphic interpretation of facts, data, and knowledge. Typically, any complex information should be represented simply.  An infographic can contain flowcharts, interactive media, bar graphs, etc. and it can be published online. The infographic site I used to create my own was Piktochart, which was free.  There was an option to upgrade to pro, and pay a fee, but we'll talk more about that later...

 Using An Infographic to Teach a Lesson Plan on "Night" by Elie Wiesel

My intent for integrating an infographic into an English or Reading Lesson Plan was to provide students with accessible knowledge about the background and context of the literature and authors we will be reading. Since an infographic is condensed, informative, and visually stimulating, using an infographic to introduce a world of context to the students would be a great way to encourage text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections, which are important in understanding the meaning of the text.  The students would be able to access information online or on one piece of paper while they examine the text, using the infographic. The choice to use "Night" by Elie Wiesel as the subject for my classroom infographic was done specifically and intentionally.  The historical and experiential context of the book is of the utmost importance.  Understanding the atrocity of the Holocaust is important to gaining more meaning from the text.   Knowing the background of the author is also specifically important in creating an intimate dialogue with Elie Wiesel's "Night".  The infographic  would serve as a tool for a contextual and background lesson, as well as, being an aesthetic hook for the students' interest in the text. Following the exploration of the infographic, students would then individually read Elie Wiesel's "Night".  Since, the Holocaust is unfortunately heavy with information, alliances, death, and complete destruction, multiple infographics may be useful throughout the entire unit of the text for informational grouping. I chose the format of the newspaper infographic, not only for an aesthetic homage to vintage papers of the 1940's, but also as a way to group information in a way that would have been received during the time of the experience of Elie Wiesel in his memoir.  The horror's of the Holocaust on the front page news, or sometimes hidden away, can be represented with the use of a newspaper format when dealing with this text. Following the full reading of "Night", I would instruct students to create their own infographic and demonstrate their understanding of meaning and context as they experienced and discovered it within the text.

I would encourage students to access the infographic (see bottom of page) online opposed to a print out because there is a video accompanying the information. The idea of a multimedia and technological infographic appeals to me (and I imagine, my students) because by nature infographics throw a lot of data and statistics at you, which can overload the brain, but organization can alleviate that. Having multimedia sections and options on the infographic allow for a mental compartmentalization and organization of information and multiple ways of accessing the information for different types of learners (visual, audio, etc.). Infographics could also be used as a tool for the Universal Design for Learning to function in the classroom curriculum, since it offers multiple ways to access information. .

Entrance to Auschwitz
Photo Courtesy of: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_mass_transport_to_Auschwitz_concentration_camp

Experience with Infographics:

I had a successful experience creating my very first infographic (again, see below) for my English Classroom. I felt that Piktochart was easily navigable and since it has a free option, it is easy to use within the classroom. It is also a great way to create your own classroom charts and also incorporate into interdisciplinary lessons.  Another feature that I liked about Piktochart was that there was a "new editor" and an "old editor" version for individuals on different places on the technology spectrum. The option to transcend planned obsolescence by going back to a simpler and older version of the site and still access the new site was an intriguing trait that I liked. They are a current and efficient tool and I will definitely be using infographics in my future lesson plans. Please check out my very first infographic below. Thank you. :)  

Infographic