Images and Charts as Argument · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Pictures that argue

English · Reading Comprehension · ages 15-16
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. An authentic, unaltered photo shows a flooded street. Which conclusion is supported by that photo alone?

    • Every street across the whole city was flooded
    • The pictured street was flooded at that time
    • Flooding across the city lasted for several days

  2. A photo shows two students, each holding an open book. Its caption says, 'The school library after lunch.' Which detail comes from the caption, rather than the image description?

    • Both students are holding open books
    • Two students are visible in the photograph
    • The photo was taken in the library

  3. A chart puts 0, 10, 20 and 100 at equally spaced ticks on an axis labelled 'linear scale'. What is the problem?

    • Equal spacing represents unequal changes
    • The largest label must also be the first label
    • The axis needs a separate unit for every tick

  4. A cropped photo shows a cheering group. The full photo also shows many empty seats nearby. Which claim is weakened when you see the full photo?

    • Some spectators in the venue were cheering
    • The venue had seats beside the cheering group
    • The venue was full, with every seat occupied

  5. A bar chart shows values 72 and 76 on a linear scale, but both bars begin at 70. The visible lengths are 2 and 6 units. Which statement is supported?

    • The visible lengths show that 76 is three times 72
    • The visible lengths exaggerate the ratio of the values
    • The visible lengths show that both values are under 70

  6. A pie chart has twelve accurately sized slices and a clear key. The number of slices alone proves that the chart distorts the shares.

    Circle one:   True   False

  7. A caption says, 'This policy caused shops to close.' Its only evidence is a photo of one closed shop. Which response best checks the caption's reasoning?

    • Accept the cause because the shop's closed sign is visible
    • Reject the cause because photographs can never record evidence
    • Ask for evidence linking this closure to the policy

  8. Two bars use the same unit on a linear scale starting at zero. One bar is twice as long as the other. What follows?

    • It represents twice the other bar's value
    • It represents two units more than the other bar
    • It represents half of the value of the other bar
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Pictures that argue W1-mt_X1vajiAqrM-s1

  1. The pictured street was flooded at that time · The photo supports a claim about the pictured street at the pictured moment. It does not establish conditions elsewhere or over several days.
  2. The photo was taken in the library · The image description establishes two students with open books. The caption adds the library location.
  3. Equal spacing represents unequal changes · The numerical changes are 10, 10 and 80. A linear scale cannot represent those unequal changes with equal spacing.
  4. The venue was full, with every seat occupied · The empty seats weaken the claim that every seat was occupied. They do not erase the evidence that some spectators were cheering.
  5. The visible lengths exaggerate the ratio of the values · The visible lengths have a ratio of three to one, but 76 is not three times 72. Starting the bars at 70 exaggerates that ratio.
  6. False · Many slices can be hard to compare, but their number alone does not prove distortion. Accurate slice sizes can still represent the shares correctly.
  7. Ask for evidence linking this closure to the policy · A closed shop does not reveal why it closed. The caption needs evidence linking the closure to the policy and wider evidence for its claim about shops.
  8. It represents twice the other bar's value · With shared units, a common zero baseline and a linear scale, bar lengths have the same ratio as their values.
Worksheet · LightMySky