Getting to Know the Slow Reveal Technique for Social Studies Instruction
Why Use Slow Reveal Graphics in Social Studies?
There are several reasons to use slow reveal graphics in social studies. First, slow reveal graphics help students make sense of the multitude of data visualizations they encounter in social studies. Because data visualizations are often visually complex and intricate, it can be difficult for the eye to know exactly where to look when first encountering one. By covering up or eliminating other visual elements, the task of analysis becomes much more manageable for students. And because slow reveal graphics focus on integrating new information as it is displayed, students have time to practice asking questions about what they are viewing.
In addition, slow reveal graphics help social studies teachers use their expertise to address discipline-specific content and uncover students’ prior knowledge. When displaying the years on a line graph, for example, social studies teachers can help students connect the timeframe to existing content knowledge and assess the extent to which students need more background knowledge. Social studies teachers are also best equipped to dig into concepts that are represented in data visualizations, such as social and political reasons underlying statistics, or groups of people who are excluded, misrepresented, or stereotyped by data representations.
Third, slow reveal graphics are a great way to prompt inquiry. They can help students recognize the existence of social issues, challenge uninformed viewpoints or misconceptions, and reveal patterns, differences, or disparities worthy of further investigation. Teachers can then support students in formulating questions to focus and guide research. Slow reveal graphics also provide opportunities for teachers to ask questions about ways data have been represented and explore how stories change with disaggregation or new representations of data.
Finally, slow reveal graphs support analysis of primary sources. Primary sources are critical pieces of information in social studies. This is particularly true in history, which is arguably the discipline students will study the most in their social studies classes. Primary sources are at the heart of ‘doing’ the discipline of history, and curriculum standards across the United States require students to work with primary sources as they apply historical thinking skills. To think historically, students should read and gather facts from primary sources, consider the document’s origin and context, and consider biases and motivations for creating a document. Why did the author create this? Who was the audience? What was going on at the time? These are all questions students should be asking of primary sources as they use them as evidence or illustration for a historical topic. Slow reveal graphics can help students develop and strengthen historical thinking skills, while also reinforcing mathematical and statistical skills.
How To Make a Slow Reveal Graphic Lesson
Step 1: Choose your data visualization
Anyone can make slow reveal graphics from a timeline, map, or graph using the simple tools available on Google Slides, PowerPoint, or even in Preview. Your first step is to choose the data visualization you would like to teach. For demonstration purposes, we'll begin with an Our World in Data line graph on adult literacy rates. From the Our World in Data site, you can download the data visualization to your computer.
Step 2: Mask all the elements of the data visualization, except for basic geometries
Create a new slide desk (e.g., using Google Slides) and upload your data visualization. To mask the visual elements, use the shape tool in whatever program you're using. The image to the right shows the drop down menu for the shapes tool in Google Slides (Insert > Shapes > select your shape of choice). Make sure you match the shape colors to the background as closely as possible.
Step 3: Unmask the visual elements in the order of your choice.
Unmasking the visual elements on a slide show is a repetitive process where you duplicate your first slide, delete the shape covering the next element you wish to display on your duplicated slide, and then duplicating the slide again. The slides to the left show an example of the completed unmasking process. The order of elements revealed reflects choices about instructional sequence and may overlap with Step 4. For example, the x-axis (horizontal axis) might be unmasked first to see what background knowledge the timeframe sparks for students, while unmasking the source last can lead to a discussion with students about the dataset and examine what other questions the dataset might prompt.
Step 4: Write your instructional sequence.
Write the instructional sequence in the notes of your slide presentation. The first slide should always include a See-Think-Wonder line of questioning. Ask students what they notice about the data visualization, what they think it might be about, and what questions they have. For each subsequent slide and reveal, begin with the question, "What new information did we just learn?" This will call students' attention to the revealed visual element and the information it provides. Then ask students, "How does this new information change your thinking about the data visualization?" Finally ask them what they wonder or what new information they think they need.
Step 5: Add other slides as needed
When creating a slow reveal graphic lesson, you may want to include other slides to supplement instruction, or dig more deeply into an element of the data visualization. When presenting the graph on literacy, for example, the supplementing the revelation of different regions, such as Europe and Central Asia, with maps to can help students visualize the location of the regions and the nations that make it up. View examples of complete slow reveal lessons for inspiration.