The Centers for Disease Control
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a government agency whose mission is to prevent disease. The CDC also shares information from researchers, scientists, and health professionals to promote good public health, and it takes pride in working “24/7” to educate Americans about preventative health and warn them of any threats. The CDC uses several different tools for outreach, including articles, email updates, social media posts, videos, and infographics like the one below. Screen Time vs. Lean Time is an interactive infographic hosted on MakingHealthEasier.org that allows you to click on an age group to find out how much time watching TV or videos or playing or working on computers kids are getting (on average) and provides suggestions for healthier alternatives.
Courtesy of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
For more information, visit MakingHealthEasier.org/GetMoving
Analyzing the Writer’s Technique
After clicking around in Screen Time vs. Lean Time, answer the questions below. Then submit your responses.
1. A comparison-and-contrast essay usually has one of three primary purposes—to express ideas, to inform, or to persuade. What is the purpose of Screen Time vs. Lean Time, and how does using comparison-and-contrast achieve this purpose? Use specific details or aspects of the infographic to support your answer.
2. Is the infographic organized point-by-point or subject-by-subject, and what are its points of comparison? Why do you think the CDC chose this organization method?
Thinking Critically about the Patterns of Development
3. What do you notice about the activities each age group could be doing? What does this list reveal about each age group, and how does it work toward achieving the purpose of the infographic?
4. Are there any points of comparison that are omitted that would have made the comparison more balanced for each age group? What other types of sources and information could the CDC have included to makes this infographic more comprehensive?