background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(15, 17, 20);">A strong example outside language learning is the use of scientific diagrams and lab reports in science education. In biology, for instance, students often draw and label the parts of a cell, then write accompanying explanations. This practice illustrates how literacies such as visual, linguistic, and symbolic, work together to represent complex academic knowledge. The diagram itself is a form of visual literacy: learners interpret shapes, spatial relationships, and labels to understand how organelles function. The written explanation, meanwhile, requires linguistic literacy, where students translate visual meaning into structured sentences. Together, these modes allow learners to grasp both the holistic picture and the detailed processes.

This multimodal practice shows the power of literacies in science pedagogy. First, it demonstrates integration of modes, visuals and text combine to deepen comprehension. Second, it highlights translation across modes: students move from image to language, reinforcing understanding by expressing knowledge in multiple forms. Third, it emphasizes critical engagement: learners must decide which features of the cell are essential to represent visually and how to explain them in writing.

Scholars argue that multimodal literacy is central to modern education. Jewitt (2008) notes that meaning making in classrooms increasingly involves “the orchestration of multiple modes” rather than reliance on text alone. In science, diagrams, graphs, and oral presentations are not supplementary, rather they are core to how knowledge is constructed and communicated. Similarly, Lemke (1998) explains that scientific literacy requires fluency across words, images, and symbols, since no single mode can fully capture scientific meaning.

Thus, the cell diagram and lab report illustrate how literacies extend beyond language arts. They show that academic knowledge in science is multimodal: represented through visuals, explained through writing, and often discussed orally. This pedagogy validates that literacy is not just about reading and writing, it is about navigating and combining modes to make meaning in diverse academic contexts.

Literacies in Science: Representing Knowledge Through Diagrams and Explanations