Interpret Information Presented Visually

What can you infer about the motive behind the infographic presented on page 37?

• a.      The motive behind the infographic is likely environmental because Michael Pollan wants more people to be aware of the impact a lack of crop diversity has on the landscape of farming areas like Iowa.

• b.      The motive behind the infographic is likely environmental because Michael Pollan believes that a lack of crop diversity is better for the environment.

• c.      The motive is likely political because Michael Pollan presents this information in hopes that readers will support candidates from farming states like Iowa.

• d.      The motive is likely political because Michael Pollan wants politicians to support financial incentives for farmers who grow corn.

What is one purpose of showing the infographic on page 119?

• a.      to convince people to avoid eating chicken nuggets and select healthier fast-food options

• b.      to suggest that chicken nuggets changed the industrial farming system, by increasing the demand for broiler chickens

• c.       to inform consumers about the popularity of chicken nuggets and the unhealthy fats they contain

• d.      to describe how chicken nuggets, even though popular, are detrimental to consumers’ health and should be avoided

What can you infer about the motive behind the infographic presented on page 119?

• The motive seems to be social because the information presented by Michael Pollan is aimed at informing consumers about the popularity of and fat contents in chicken nuggets, hoping people choose healthier food options.

• The motive seems to be political because the information presented by Michael Pollan is aimed at convincing chicken-farming unions to lower the price of chicken sold to McDonalds.

• The motive seems to be environmental because the information presented by Michael Pollan is aimed at showing how the practices used to raise chickens used in McNuggets enhance the environment.

• The motive seems to be commercial because the information presented by Michael Pollan is aimed at telling consumers to buy more McNuggets.

What is the purpose of showing the infographic on page 212?

• to inform the reader about the distance food from Polyface Farm travels

• to convince people to eat food from Polyface Farm

• to demonstrate all of the sustainable practices used on Polyface Farm

• to describe the difference in the food miles that exists between Michael Pollan’s industrial meal and his local sustainable meal

What can you infer about the motive behind the infographic on page 212?

• a.      The motive is political because Michael Pollan is advocating that states support local organic food production by providing financial incentives for organic farmers.

• b.      The motive is political because Michael Pollan is advocating for rebates to those people who purchase electric cars.

• c.      The motive is environmental because Michael Pollan hopes to convince consumers to buy local, therefore lessening their use of fossil fuels.

• d.      The motive is environmental because Michael Pollan is showing how the growing practices of Polyface Farm positively impact the environment.

What are the advantages of presenting the material as in an infographic? (Select all that apply.

• It is visually engaging and draws the reader into the topic by presenting a mix of text and images with captions.

• It presents “bite-sized” pieces of information about the loss of diversity of crops, which is easy for the reader to understand at a glance.

• It turns complicated information on the topic into visual graphics that are easy to understand.

• It provides only little context on the topic, which can make the information difficult to interpret.

What is one disadvantage to presenting the material as in an infographic?

• It can be read efficiently and quickly provides information for readers on the topic.

• It provides only “bite-sized” pieces of information, which can leave the reader without important details on the topic.

• It is engaging and easily catches readers’ attention, drawing them into the topic.

• The visual elements, such as the change from three columns of crops to only one, add depth to the reader’s understanding of the topic.

What is the purpose of showing the infographic?

• to connect ideas about the crops that were grown in 1920 and the animals raised in 1920 and how those influence consumer health

• to convince people to eat less corn, since industrialized farming of high-yield corn is the cause of the decline in crop diversity between 1920 and 2004

• to describe the changes in the number of acres used for farming in the United States between 1920 and 2002

• to inform the reader about the decline in crop and livestock diversity between 1920 and 2002

What can you infer about the motive behind the infographic presented on these pages?

• The motive is likely political because Michael Pollan wants politicians to support financial incentives for farmers who grow corn.

• The motive is likely political because Michael Pollan presents this information in hopes that readers will support candidates from farming states like Iowa.

• The motive behind the infographic is likely environmental because Michael Pollan wants more people to be aware of the impact a lack of crop diversity has on the landscape of farming areas like Iowa.

• The motive behind the infographic is likely environmental because Michael Pollan believes that a lack of crop diversity is better for the environment.

What is one advantage of the infographic used in this chapter?

• It turns complicated information about chicken nuggets into visual graphics that are easy to understand.

• The reader can misinterpret information presented about chicken nuggets.

• It provides only little context on the topic, which can make the information difficult to interpret.

• Because it uses many details, the reader builds a complex understanding of the corn-based ingredients used to produce chicken nuggets