2022 Snapshots

1. Set Focus 
Pose these 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 infographics, one can tell that the U.S. is a wealthy country, Americans spend more time in school compared with people in many other countries, and journalists in the U.S. are able to do their job without fear of being imprisoned.)

• What factors do you think might affect the average number of years people spend in school in a country? (Countries that offer free public education for elementary, middle, and high school will likely have higher averages. Countries that offer free college or provide access to funding for college and cultures that emphasize education will likely also have higher averages.)

• What might a country producing the most renewable energy per capita tell you about that country? (You can infer that the country has probably offered incentives, such as tax breaks, to companies that produce renewable energy. You can also infer that the government has likely invested in infrastructure, such as methods of delivery, for renewable energy.)

• 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. However, data on where influencers rule and production of renewable energy could change quickly depending on cultural trends and government policies, so these graphs might see more fluctuation.)

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.

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