IB ENGLISH A: Paper 1 - Infographics

Summary

In this video, Andrew and Dave, the 'IB English guys', discuss the importance of infographics for IB English exams. They identify five organizational strategies used in infographics: chronological, hierarchical, problem-solution, cause-effect, and comparative. They then delve into infographic conventions, such as titles, subheadings, icons, charts, and color psychology. Using a poverty-themed infographic as an example, they analyze its structure, language, and visual elements, emphasizing the significance of understanding these aspects for effective analysis.

Takeaways

• 📚 Andrew and Dave are the 'IB English guys' who provide resources for IB English exams, including study guides for Paper 1 and Paper 2, and an individual oral planning guide.
• 🗓 As exams approach, they emphasize the importance of their website's materials for exam preparation.
• 📊 They discuss infographics in response to a YouTube comment, highlighting their rich visual text and language as a great subject for discussion.
• 🔍 They identify five main organizational strategies used in infographics: Chronological, Hierarchical, Problem-Solution, Cause and Effect, and Comparative.
• 📝 They suggest looking holistically at infographics to understand their structural patterns.
• 🏷️ Key infographic conventions include titles, subheadings, icons, charts, graphs, lists, color, typography, sources, visual metaphors, statistics, labels, comparisons, and interactive elements.
• 🌐 They analyze an infographic about poverty, noting its Problem-Solution structure and the use of visual metaphors and icons to convey information.
• 📈 The infographic uses a graph to show the disparity between people falling into and escaping poverty, with a personal story to add qualitative impact.
• 🎨 The color scheme of the infographic, particularly the use of black, gray, and yellow, is discussed to convey the seriousness and urgency of the poverty issue.
• 🔗 The infographic concludes with a call to action, directing viewers to read a report and engage with the organization on social media.

Q & A

What are some key organizational strategies commonly used in infographics?

The five key organizational strategies mentioned are chronological, hierarchical, problem-solution, cause and effect, and comparative structures.

Why is it important to pay attention to the title and subheadings in infographics?

The title and subheadings often contain critical information such as the purpose or main message of the infographic. Subheadings can also hide purpose statements and offer key insights into the infographic's content.

How do icons play a role in infographics?

Icons in infographics serve as visual symbols that represent broader ideas or concepts, making information more accessible and easier to understand at a glance.

What is the significance of color in infographics?

Colors in infographics are chosen intentionally to evoke specific emotions or highlight certain values. For example, yellow may indicate caution or alarm, while dark tones like black and gray convey seriousness.

Why is typography considered an important feature in infographics?

Typography, including font size and type, helps structure the information and draw attention to important sections, aiding in the readability and overall effectiveness of the infographic.

What are interactive elements in infographics, and why are they significant?

Interactive elements, such as clickable buttons and links, guide the reader to further information or encourage sharing on social media. They help extend the reach of the infographic beyond just being a static visual.

How do comparisons function in infographics?

Comparisons highlight similarities and differences between two or more elements, helping to draw contrasts or illustrate relationships. This can make the data more relatable and easier to analyze.

How are statistical elements like graphs used in infographics?

Graphs, such as bar charts and pie charts, are used to present data visually in a way that is easier to understand. They can quickly convey patterns, trends, or disparities without needing long explanations.

Why is reliability of information important in infographics, and how can it be assessed?

The reliability of an infographic is important because it ensures the data being presented is trustworthy. Sources should be clearly listed, often in footnotes or a works cited section, allowing readers to verify the information.

What does the 'problem-solution' structure in infographics usually entail?

A 'problem-solution' structure in infographics typically outlines an issue or challenge and then presents one or more proposed solutions. This format is often used by non-governmental and governmental organizations to address societal issues.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to IB English Resources and Infographics

Andrew and Dave introduce themselves as the IB English guys and mention their website full of study materials for paper one and paper two. They have also released an individual oral planning guide. They discuss their YouTube channel where they saw a comment requesting a video on infographics. They decide to create the video because infographics are rich in visual text and language. They share five organizational strategies often used in infographics: chronological, hierarchical, problem-solution, cause and effect, and comparative. They emphasize the importance of looking at infographics holistically to understand their structural patterns.

05:02

📊 Analyzing Infographics: Organizational Structures and Conventions

The hosts delve into the organizational strategies of infographics, using a specific example about poverty. They discuss the problem-solution structure, highlighting the global issue of poverty and the solutions offered. They analyze the visual elements, such as the title, subtitle, icons, and pictograms, and how they guide the viewer's eye. They also discuss the use of graphs, lists, color psychology, typography, and the importance of the source of information. They emphasize the language used in infographics and how it can impact the viewer.

10:03

🌐 Deconstructing a Poverty-Themed Infographic

Andrew and Dave deconstruct a specific infographic about poverty, noting its problem-solution structure. They analyze the visual pathway, the title, subtitle, and the use of icons to represent the problems of poverty. They discuss the use of a graph to show the disparity between people falling into and escaping poverty. They also highlight a personal story represented by an icon to humanize the issue. In the solution section, they discuss the use of icons and lists to represent elements that can help individuals escape poverty. They analyze the color palette, noting the use of yellow as a warning sign and black and gray to convey the seriousness of poverty. They conclude by discussing the logo and call to action, encouraging viewers to learn more and take action.

Keywords

💡Infographics

Infographics are visual representations of information, data, or knowledge intended to present complex information quickly and clearly. They use a combination of images, text, and sometimes interactive elements to convey information. In the video, infographics are the central theme, and the creators discuss various organizational strategies and conventions used within them, such as chronological, hierarchical, and comparative structures.

💡Organizational Strategies

Organizational strategies refer to the methods used to structure and present information in a logical and coherent manner. In the context of the video, five main organizational strategies for infographics are discussed: chronological, hierarchical, problem-solution, cause and effect, and comparative. These strategies help viewers understand the flow and structure of the information presented in the infographic.

💡Chronological Structure

A chronological structure is an organizational method that presents information in a sequence following the order of time. In the video, this structure is mentioned as a way to show the passage of time or sequence of events, which is useful for depicting historical data or processes that unfold over time.

💡Hierarchical Structure

A hierarchical structure organizes information based on levels of importance or authority. The video mentions that infographics might use this structure to represent different power levels within an organization, often depicted through pyramid shapes, to show the relationship between various elements.

💡Problem-Solution

The problem-solution strategy presents a challenge or issue followed by a proposed resolution or answer. In the video, this strategy is noted as common in infographics created by NGOs or governmental organizations, which aim to highlight an issue and offer solutions.

💡Cause and Effect

Cause and effect is a strategy that examines the reasons behind a situation and its subsequent consequences. The video script mentions this approach as a way for infographics to explore what led to a particular scenario and what the implications are, helping viewers understand complex issues.

💡Comparative

Comparative strategy in infographics involves comparing two or more subjects to highlight similarities and differences. The video discusses this as a way to organize information so viewers can easily see comparisons between different ideas or groups.

💡Visual Pathways

Visual pathways guide the viewer's eyes through the infographic, following a logical sequence to understand the information. The video emphasizes the importance of considering the visual pathway when analyzing infographics, as it helps in comprehending the intended message.

💡Language

Language in infographics is crucial as it supports the visual elements in conveying the message. The video script points out the importance of examining the language used in infographics, such as the choice of verbs and adjectives, which can influence the viewer's perception and emotional response.

💡Color Psychology

Color psychology is the study of how colors affect human behavior and emotions. In the video, the presenters discuss how the choice of colors in infographics can convey certain emotions or values, such as using black and yellow to represent alarm and caution in the context of poverty.

💡Interactive Elements

Interactive elements in infographics, such as clickable buttons or links, engage the viewer and invite them to explore more information or take action. The video mentions these elements as a way to extend the infographic's message beyond the initial viewing experience.

Highlights

Andrew and Dave introduce themselves as the IB English guys and mention their website with study materials for exams.

They have released a new individual oral planning guide for students starting year two.

The discussion is sparked by a YouTube comment requesting a video about infographics.

Infographics are described as rich visual texts with various language features.

Five main organizational strategies used in infographics are mentioned.

Chronological structure in infographics shows passage of time or sequence.

Hierarchical structure is used to represent different power levels or organizational levels.

Problem-solution structure is common in infographics, especially by NGOs and nonprofits.

Cause and effect approach is used to analyze situations and their implications.

Comparative structure is used to compare ideas or groups to show similarities and differences.

Importance of holistically examining infographics to understand their structural patterns.

The first infographic convention discussed is the title and its importance.

Subheadings often contain the purpose statement in infographics.

Icons in infographics are symbols representing ideas or concepts.

Charts and graphs are used to convey information visually instead of long paragraphs.

Lists and bullets are used for concise and easy-to-digest text in infographics.

Color choices in infographics convey emotions and values.

Typography, including font size and type, plays a role in infographics.

Reliability of information is checked through sources mentioned in infographics.

Visual metaphors are used differently from icons to convey messages.

Statistics in infographics convey data and information persuasively.

Labels and clear identification are important elements in infographics.

Comparisons in infographics help in contrasting different products or ideas.

Interactive elements in online infographics invite users to explore more or share.

An infographic about poverty is analyzed using the discussed conventions.

The infographic uses a problem-solution structure to address global poverty.

Language used in infographics can imply the struggle of people experiencing poverty.

A graph in the infographic shows the disparity between people falling into and escaping poverty.

Qualitative data is represented through an individual's life history in the infographic.

The solution section of the infographic offers a three-step approach to tackle poverty.

Color palette in the infographic signifies the seriousness and alarm of the poverty issue.

The logo of the organization is interpreted as representing incompleteness and the need for action.

Interactive elements like buttons and links encourage further exploration and action on the topic.

The video concludes with a reminder to look for effects, implications, color, and language when analyzing infographics.

Transcripts

hi I'm Andrew and I'm Dave and we're the

IB English guys don't forget everybody

as the exams are approaching that we

have a website full of great materials

we have a paper one and paper two study

guide that we think is really helpful

we've also just released an individual

oral planning guide so those of you in

year one or just starting year two if

that assessment's coming up you might

want to check out that Resource as well

it's really powerful uh Giles what are

we talking about today and why are we

talking about it yeah well we saw a

comment on the YouTube channel and we

read those religiously every morning

with our coffee and we saw that someone

asked for us to do a video about

infographics and we thought hey

infographics are very rich visual text

with all kinds of Rich language and so

we thought it was a great idea because

they make great text to talk about yeah

they are great Tech they're doing our

research on infographics we came up with

sort of uh five main organizational

strategies that lots of infographics are

using and we'd like to present those to

you now Mr Jaws what's one strategy that

you've come up with an organizational

structure yeah so we want to think about

some some infographics use a Chrono

logical structure and then again they're

going to show that sort of passage of

time or some kind of sequence with time

so it might be chronological yeah you

also see a hierarchical structure for

some infographics that's going to be

different elements of power and you

might see that Mr Giles if you're

looking at an organization or other

business entity where you have something

on top then another level down then

another level down sometimes those are

shown through pyramids as well but

you're looking at different power levels

yeah different levels that's great

another another uh organizational

strategy is problem solution again this

a lot of infographics are made by

non-governmental governmental

organizations nonprofits so again

they're looking at a problem and then

offering a solution yeah similarly those

organizations might employ a cause and

effect approach as well looking at what

may have caused this situation and what

are the effects of the implications of

the situation cause and effect and

there's one more Mr Johnson yeah the

last one is comparative so they might be

looking at two comparative ideas or two

comparative groups and that might be

organized so that we can see the

similarities and differences between

those now I think what's important to

think about is that these are five

different organizational patterns look

at it holistically and ask yourself how

is this laid out what is the structural

pattern I think that's a good way into

the infographic all right Mr Giles what

do you say we look at some infographic

conventions go over those and then in

the last part of our video we can apply

those two in infographic yeah don't

forget always we have a handout that's

attached to this video and you want to

look at that the first the first

convention we're going to think about is

the title we want to really examine the

title carefully and think about how

that's formatted and what that says yeah

also you want to look at the subheadings

you'll find that under the title

oftentimes the purpose statement is

hiding in there Mr Giles so you want to

look very carefully about the

subheadings and see if you can find some

key information there yeah infographics

all infographics use icons and these

icons are symbols that represent ideas

or concepts we want to really unpack

them yeah you'll see charts and graphs

as well of course they're trying to give

lots of information but rather than

conveying long paragraphs they're going

to try to represent that visually

through charts and graphs yeah it could

be like pie charts and and bar graphs

and things like that we also have lists

and bullets that again these are concise

easy to digest uh text so we want to

think about things that are bulleted out

and organized that way yeah color is

very interesting as well Mr Giles of

course the IB is now printing all their

exams and colors so you want to pay

close attention to that color palette

and think about what emotions or what

value methods are sort of conveyed

through the color choices yeah color

psychology that's great typography we

want to think about our fonts we don't

think about font size font type and

think about how typography might come

into play yeah you want to think about

the reliability of the information as

well look for the sources oftentimes

you'll see that as a footnote or in the

footer at the bottom of the infographic

that's critical oftentimes you'll see

other sources it's almost like a works

cited page where do they get the

information from can you trust this

infographic yeah the next is a visual

metaphor so again visuals can be met

abused metaphorically and and I think

that's really interesting to look at

it's a little different from icons yeah

because it's an informational text type

look for statistics lots of data and

information will be conveyed that way

and that will be persuasive as well yeah

we want to look for labels things that

are labeled and clearly identified again

that's a that's again something to look

for yeah infographics also have

comparisons Mr Giles sometimes you'll be

looking at one or two products or more

than two ideas they want to compare and

contrast between these ideas or elements

look for comparisons the last one I

think is important for a lot of texts

that you're going to see in the exams is

that interactive elements most texts

that you see on exams are actually

online text clickable buttons and and

things to to invite us to go elsewhere

to learn more or share those kinds of

things social media yeah now that we've

gone over some of those key features and

conventions of infographics let's go

ahead and dive into one right now as you

can see it on the screen Mr Giles can

you just give us like a one or two

sentence summary of what we're looking

at yeah so first of all I noticed that

this is this this infographic is about

poverty it's organized by an

organization

um down at the bottom we see the name of

the organization The Chronic property uh

chronic poverty AI advisory network so

again this is about poverty it's a

problem solution structure I see that we

know that Global poverty is an issue and

they're offering some good Solutions

yeah I almost see it like three levels

Mr Giles I see like a top horizontal bar

a middle horizontal bar and then sort of

that solution is the bottom horizontal

bar so I almost see the infographic

dividing structurally into thirds that's

great that's how I might talk about it

and they're inviting us that visual path

is so vital when they construct these uh

infographics I want to think about that

we read from left to right from top to

bottom yeah so they're logical well

assuming that visual pathway Mr Jaws

we're going to start in the upper left

hand corner and I noticed the title of

this infographic is getting to zero

poverty by 2030 and then we see a

subtitle the road out of poverty is

rarely a smooth one-way Street uh and

then there's an icon there Mr Giles can

you analyze and interpret that for us

that looks like a visual visual metaphor

Hit Me That Again is and that invitation

of why that question why they're they're

making us think about this uh smoothness

it's not a small smooth one-way Street I

think that icon really indicates that

yeah and then the icon being a roadside

itself is sort of pointing you at the

visual Pathways telling you to move to

the right so off we go right yeah notice

that they're even offering the solution

getting to zero poverty by 2030 they're

saying this is their goal this is the

goal that's really optimistic they're

not just like hitting us with the the

difficulties of poverty they're actually

encouraging us let's get out of this

exactly now and that upper third if we

call this the problem aspect of the

infographic uh I see three problems

which is a sort of that nice tri-cola

number what do you notice about the way

that information is presented Mr Giles

yeah well in that in that first panel we

notice that they're talking about that

that how people stay in poverty over

over a matter of time and I think that

also might show the different

Generations the way poverty can be

passed down and again we we see that

visually represented with the icons and

the pictograms of the three figures with

the zero dollars over there pictograms I

like that one yeah yeah Mr Jaws if I

look at that second box I see the circle

with the backslash in there and and that

indicates no something missing and we

see that money is missing and that

agriculture is missing from this

person's life leading to impoverished

impoverishment and I think that's

notable yeah we see the label at the

bottom right that that label is

important that's that's again

identifying the last one has this Soul

figure then the pictogram of the

individual with the thought bubble and I

like that thought bubble that really

shows that these are his internal

worries or concerns then it talks about

how people that lack the skills in the

education and those icons that note the

different things that they're missing

that they're kind of longing for yeah so

I think that's interesting Mr Charles

one thing I'd like to add is you know we

can't just ignore the language I love

the phrase hit by shocks it almost

implies that you know these people who

are experiencing poverty have done

nothing wrong but something's happened

to them yeah I like the way that verb

comes out permanently above the pot

heads you know keeping their heads

permanently above the poverty line it's

almost like they're drowning right

they're just trying to keep their heads

don't forget to explore the language as

well yeah let's go to the middle third

now of this infographic I see a graph Mr

Giles and that's one of the things we're

meant to look for what is the

infographic trying to accomplish with

this graph here yeah the graph's

interesting because the graph indicates

that that that people that fall into

poverty far outnumber the people that

escape poverty and that's clearly

identified the gray lines in the bar

graph are the people that fall into

poverty and the white or the people that

escape poverty so it's very easy to

identify that in all of these different

countries notice we're talking about

many different continents here Mexico

and Senegal and Tanzania we see that

it's the same pattern it's very macro

they're looking very macro at the

problem well that's interesting because

we have the macro there we're looking at

sort of that information is is

quantitative it was taken from

statistics but then on the right hand

side we have some qualitative data and

we see a man named Emmanuel represented

by an icon rather than his photograph

and then is labeled as a life history

this is interesting this is cool talk

about it I love that because it's again

it's personalizing it I think whenever

we have an anecdote or a story that's

individual that that's again we know

that that's gonna that's gonna have more

of an impact and we see his lifespan

when he's born how he attends primary

school but then again we have famine and

some of the things that have befallen

Emmanuel emmanueli uh you know I think

it's interesting like these are the

things that he struggles and that he's

he struggles with right he has divorce

he has you know he can't afford to take

care of his family one thing to add I

think the choice of presenting this as a

lying graph is really interesting

because we see this broken you know it

has ups and downs it's very inconsistent

and that shows how volatile that

person's life is that's just how how

volatile it is being in poverty some

days you're doing well and other days

you're doing really poorly so yeah if

you look at that over time it's really

tapering off his well-being has really

declined so again that really makes us

think about that's a person there now

luckily there is a solution to all this

hardship and we see that in the bottom

one-third of the infographic can you

talk about holistically what you notice

there Mr Jones well the first thing I

noticed with that pictogram of that

person with the backpack is definitely

the biggest uh biggest icon in the

entire infographic and again him

climbing or her climbing is again very

significant to show that sort of sense

of growth and Improvement right yeah and

also wearing the backpack I went

backpacking when this guy over the

summer carrying a bunch of stuff in your

backpacks hard work and I think the

implication here we can infer that that

chronic poverty advisory network wants

to tell us that hey we can do something

but this is a challenge this is a climb

you got to put on your heavy backpacking

and go for it yeah and then they have

the icons that are that and then they

also have the list next to the icon so

like hey in case you were wondering we

know that the first icons education the

second is the social assistance these

are all the elements of that are going

to equip the this person to get out of

here yeah and I love that yeah we have a

poverty line at the bottom and the

person is going up the steps it looks

like a three-step approach three

distinct objectives one tackle chronic

poverty that's the lower level two stop

impoverishment and then three build

sustained escapes from poverty it's

almost like a a chronological sequence

of how to accomplish this and get out of

poverty tackle stop build and finally I

think we should talk about color because

I think the color palette is really

important what do you notice about the

yellow well Mr Jaws I think you know we

have this whole you know road map we

have a pathway a one-way Street you know

and I think that if we're on a road we

need road signs and I see this whole

issue as being presented with alarm and

danger and that's often the color black

and yellow is the kind of road sign you

see when there's danger so I think

that's kind of the yellow light it's

flashing warning it's a warning sign yes

that's good and again I think the black

and gray those are serious colors and

they're they're you know and again the

seriousness of poverty they want us to

really poverty and pink pastels don't

really go together no this is an

alarming issue we need alarming colors

to show caution yeah I agree once you

talk about the logo lastly yeah I think

you know if you wanted to take on the

logo I mean there is a call to action

there at the end it says read The

Chronic poverty report uh you know you

can take action by going to the website

you can follow them on Twitter and then

their logo is interesting it's sort of

this uh this icon or this logo where you

have one square kind of falling off it's

almost representing something that's

incomplete something's missing almost

that this organization understands that

you know we're not whole there's a group

of us in the population of the planet

missing we have to somehow bring this

this part back to the whole I think

maybe that's why they have that

cautionary yellowed Square falling off

that's a great interpretation I like the

interactive elements we talked about

right the buttons and the the links that

are like Hey we're not done this is the

nympho this is information but this is

not we can't just read an infographic

and solve poverty you need to read more

about it and I think that's important

folks in the end we hope this video is

helpful I know a lot of you have been

asking for infographics remember we gave

you five different ways to organize we

gave you about 20 different terms and

we've deconstructed this look carefully

as you're looking at your infographics

on assessment make sure you're looking

for effects implications color and Crush

that and good luck on your assessment

yeah good luck guys