Appropriate Explanatory Strategies: Making Textual vs. Visual Distinctions

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 Analyze 
Use the basic features.

On the Web, writers can explain concepts not just with text, but also with visuals, audio, video clips, and interactive features. For example, while the Walk Score chart uses text to explain and distinguish different categories of walkability, the maps of New York City and Jacksonville, Florida, use color to distinguish the most walkable areas (green) from the least walkable ones (red).

ANALYZE & WRITE

Write a paragraph analyzing the benefits of words over visuals (and vice versa) for conveying information:

  1. If you looked only at the color-coded maps, what questions would you have about what makes a city walkable or unwalkable? Does the “How Walk Score Works” chart answer these questions? If not, consider what is missing.
  2. Now consider the benefits and limitations of using words alone to explain a concept or make distinctions.

    Question