The objective of this unit is to illustrate the use of pictograms to communicate information, including the pictorial representation of data.

The unit looks at different sorts of common pictograms and why they are used. Pictograms include common prohibition, warning and information signs, symbols and icons used in study materials and computer software, and pictograms used to represent numerical data.

The unit brings together different forms of pictogram to illustrate the different ways in which information is communicated pictorially. It forms part of the development of visual literacy. Encourage students to think of examples from different curriculum areas. Follow-up work might also focus on the different types of pictogram included in the unit - using pictograms to represent data, for example, in mathematics or different software icons in ICT.

Extension:

• Get students to create some new signs that are pictograms (no words). Do their friends understand what they mean?
• Collect some examples of pictograms (symbols) not included in the unit, and discuss their meaning.
• Collect examples of different prohibition, warning and information signs.
• Collect some example from newspapers of pictograms used to represent numerical data, and discuss them in a group. How easy are they to understand?