ANALYSIS OF GRAPHICACY FOUND IN THE TEXTBOOK

4.3.2.2.1. SAMPLE 1 taken from Successful Physical Science, Grade 10 1st _edn., 2008:82

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The graphic has a caption, ‘Fig 1 Examples of natural materials’ and although the labels to the pictures, e.g. ‘wooden beam’ and ‘waterfall’ do not appear in the text alongside, the words ‘wood’ and ‘water’ do, making the relevance of the pictures quite clear to the reader.

Analysis and discussion of the graphic:

Again the graphic has a caption ‘Fig 2 Examples of synthetic (man-made materials)’ and the individual pictures in the graphic are clearly labelled. However words describing synthetic materials, for example ‘Teflon’ and ‘nylon’ are likely to be foreign to the reader.

The word ‘synthetic’ is supported by its meaning given in brackets: ‘man-made’. However, the lack of reference to the Figure in the accompanying text, together with the word ‘synthetic’ appearing for the first time in the graphic, weaken the assistance of the graphic to the reader. Graphics are more than just ‘pictures’ and carry a certain responsibility in the meaningful manner in which they support the accompanying text (see Chapter 2, section 2.2.4.).

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4.3.2.2.2. SAMPLE 2 taken from Successful Physical Science, Grade 10 1st edn., 2008:83

Analysis and discussion of the graphic:

The graphic, captioned Figure 3, although a good example of the ‘matching of properties to meet a need’ theme of the accompanying text , is not referred to in the text. Furthermore, the caption explaining the picture is very detailed containing words like: ‘neoprene’ and ‘nitrogen’, naming words in the third level of Wellington and Osborne’s taxonomy of words (Wellington and Osborne, 2001).

As well as having to understand the challenging vocabulary, the reader would also have to understand concepts, for example that of heat transfer. The reader must understand that the thin water layer, trapped between the body of the diver and the wetsuit, has absorbed heat from the diver’s body. This ‘cognitive visualization’ must be held in the WM as the reader links this with the ‘bubbles of nitrogen trapped inside the wetsuit’ acting as insulators and so impeding the transfer of heat from the trapped water, thus keeping the diver warm.

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4.3.2.3. ANALYSIS OF THE RHETORICAL STRUCTURE FOUND IN THE SAMPLES

4.3.2.3.1. SAMPLE 1 taken from Successful Physical Science, Grade 10 1st edn., 2008:82

The sample now analyzed and discussed is found above in section 4.1.2.1.2.

Analysis and discussion of the rhetorical structure of the sample:

The heading ‘Matter and materials – what are they?’ gives a good indication of what is to follow and incorporates a question which the following text answers. Both the words, ‘matter’ and ‘materials’, found in the heading, are bolded in the text and each signals the start of a short descriptive paragraph outlining the concepts. The topic sentence is the first sentence in each of these short paragraphs. This according to Sharp (2006) (see Chapter 2 section 2.2.1.1.), assists with comprehension and thus enhances readability.

However, ‘biological sciences’, ‘physical sciences’, ‘engineering disciplines’ are abstract concepts and these make comprehension challenging (see 2.3.6.). This then distracts from the main topic which could possibly have been better supported.

The sampled text then continues with ‘Natural Materials’. Again the heading is repeated in the first sentence of the paragraph. However, the main idea construction, that involved with the examples and uses of natural materials, is broken by a definition and examples of indigenous knowledge. Extensive research has been done examining the use of such distractions, known as seductive details and research findings show that adding seductive details (in the form of sentences) to a passage actually reduces students’ retention of the main ideas in a passage (see Chapter 2, section 2.2.3.). Also consistent with the seductive details hypothesis, is that readers typically remember interesting adjuncts included in a passage rather than structurally important ideas

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4.3.2.3.2. SAMPLE 2 taken from Successful Physical Science, Grade 10 1st edn., 2008:83

The sample now analyzed and discussed is found above in section 4.1.2.1.2.

Analysis and discussion of the rhetorical structure of the sample:

The heading of the sample is ‘Matching properties to meet a need’, follows directly after a description of properties of materials and the first sentence of the paragraph is then: ‘very often we make things to meet a need’. An attempt is made to link the properties with purpose of materials.

The rhetorical structure of the sample follows a form / function pattern. (see Chapter 2, section 2.2.1.1.). For example, the biker’s helmet needs to ‘protect against injury’ (its intended function), so it has a certain form namely, it is ‘rigid’. Further, the helmet needs to provide ‘comfort’ so it has a soft lining.

The end of the paragraph links the form with function by suggesting that in designing products, the form of materials needs to be understood so that they can be chosen to perform a specific function when used in design.

There is a schema, that of form/function and there is some attempt at being explicit, however much must be inferred by the reader, a skill that is generally weak among grade 10 readers (see section above).

Comprehension of Sample 2 relies heavily on the reader’s background knowledge of physics and the theories of collision. The word ‘impact’ has a specific meaning in association with ‘force’, ‘momentum’ and ‘impulse’, and the linking of ‘rigidity’ with ‘spread of impact’ and ‘lining’ with ‘rate of absorption of impact’ are both challenging cognitive concepts that the reader would need to understand to construct meaning and make sense of the concepts..

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