Secondary (Middle School)| Social Studies

DESIGN AN INFOGRAPHIC COMPARING NEWS AND OPINION

This 2-hour strategy helps students compare the difference between
news and opinions to determine how an article affects opposing
viewpoints. Using an adapted lesson from The Stanford History
Education Group’s Civic Online Reasoning website, students will design
an engaging, professional-looking infographic that conveys this
information using Adobe Photoshop.

Adobe Photoshop allows students to easily and effortlessly create

stunning visual graphics to demonstrate ideas in a meaningful way. As a
secondary option, Adobe Creative Cloud Express can be used to also
create the infographic.

Outline

Step Time Description

1 Learn 25 min Students will complete the extension activity from the News vs. Opinions
Lesson Plan from the Stanford History Education Group’s Civic Online
Reasoning website. In this lesson, students read differences between news
and opinions and document the differences between the genres. You can use
the suggested readings in the lesson plan or select your own. Students will
then use this information to design an infographic comparing differences
between news and opinions.

2 Sketch 30 min Using paper or any digital drawing tool, students sketch how they will layout
the details and information for their infographic. Students will use the
following steps to guide them in creating an infographic. They can sketch
graphics, photos and illustrations, placement of text for their infographic.

3 Create 60 min Students build their infographic using Adobe Photoshop. Students
manipulate the layout, photos and typography to create the infographic.
Students can use these steps to guide their work, examine an example here,
and watch a tutorial here.

4 Share 5 min Students print and share their infographics for peers to view.

This strategy was adapted and extended from a Stanford History Education Group’s Civic Online Reasoning
lesson by Claudio Zavala Jr., a digital designer and former educator.

Make a Copy See Student-Facing Use Stand-Alone

of this Resource Instructions Below Student Version
 Secondary (Middle School) | Social Studies

DESIGN AN INFOGRAPHIC COMPARING

NEWS AND OPINION
In this 2-hour strategy, you will create an infographic outlining the
differences between news and opinions using Adobe Photoshop.
Creating this infographic will allow you to share your understanding of
the lesson from The Stanford History Education Group’s Civic Online
Reasoning website.

Adobe Photoshop allows you to create an attractive infographic to share

your understanding in an engaging and professional-looking way!

Supporting tools and resources

● Student Sample ● Learn about Adobe Photoshop

● Rubric ● Learn about Adobe Creative Cloud Express
● Guidance for using Adobe Photoshop

Student steps

1 (25 min) Begin by reading the articles assigned by your teacher. As you read through the articles,
consider the following questions as you read through articles:
● Is the source reliable?
● Is the article labeled as news or opinion?
● Are there keywords that suggest news or opinion? If so, what are they?
Create a T-chart or use this template to keep track of keywords, phrases, and quotes that helps you
differentiate between news and opinion such as the following:
● Fact:
○ The report confirms…
○ Analysts have discovered…
○ According to the results…
○ The investigation demonstrated…
● Opinion:
○ He claimed that…
○ It is the person's view that…
○ The report argues…
○ Many researchers believe that...

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 Secondary (Middle School) | Social Studies

You will use this to help you create an infographic comparing news and opinions.

2 (30 min) On paper or any digital drawing tool, sketch out how you will lay out the information for your
infographic. Add the following to your infographic design:
● Article names or titles
● Keywords that identify news or opinion
● Cite the articles sources
● Photos or drawings
Consider where you will place information and visuals - such as text, graphics, or illustrations - you will
use for your infographic. Plan out where you will place text and typography.

3 (60 min) Let’s create! Here you are going to use your sketch or digital drawing as reference to create an
infographic with Adobe Photoshop. Adjust photos, layout, and typography to create a visually appealing
infographic.
You can examine an example here, and read/watch a tutorial here. You can also use Adobe Creative
Cloud Express to build your infographic.
As you create your infographic:
● Use icons, graphics, and/or images to illustrate your ad/flyer.
● Add text boxes for the information needed for your ad/flyer.
● Choose font settings to make your text easy to read and visually appealing. Use font, colors, and
size to demonstrate the grouping of information.
● Arrange the elements of your ad/flyer and adjust as necessary to create a product that is clear
and visually appealing.
● Proofread your final product for spelling and grammar.
● Export your final document as a High Quality PDF for printing.
Be sure to consult the rubric so you know how your final product will be assessed.

4 (5 min) Share your infographic as directed by your instructor.

Rubric

Content The most relevant, important, and interesting information about your topic was included
in the infographic. The infographic demonstrates a strong understanding of the key
differences in opinion vs. news.

Supporting visuals You use a variety of visual types (such as illustrations, charts, graphs, icons, text features,
etc.) to convey the information in a clear, understandable format.

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 Secondary (Middle School) | Social Studies

Communication: You demonstrate detailed attention to and successful execution of infographic

genre and medium conventions, including layout, visual, text, formatting, and stylistic choices.

Visual design You effectively use graphic design principles like emphasis, contrast, balance,
alignment, proximity, color, proportion, and consistency to communicate your message
and direct your audience’s attention.

Guidance for using Adobe Photoshop

1 To start a new project: Open Adobe

Photoshop. Choose “Legal” size >
“RGB Color” under Color Mode >
“Create.”

2 Add text by selecting the “T” icon.

3 Place images (if applicable) or

artwork from sketches (taken with
camera) by selecting “File” > “Place
Embedded.”

4 Add shapes or visual elements to

create columns or areas on your
infographic.

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 Secondary (Middle School) | Social Studies

5 Add text boxes to add words or

phrases.

6 Export your final document as a

High Quality PDF for printing by
selecting “File” > “Save As” > “Save.”

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