A good example of how literacies represent academic knowledge outside the language subject can be found in Science education, particularly in teaching environmental awareness and climate change. In this area, literacies are not limited to reading and writing but also include interpreting data, analyzing visuals, and understanding multimodal texts such as graphs, diagrams, videos, and infographics. These forms of literacy help students translate complex scientific information into meaningful knowledge that they can relate to real-life situations.

For instance, when students study the effects of global warming, they often read scientific articles, interpret temperature graphs, analyze images of melting glaciers, and watch documentaries showing the impact on different ecosystems. Each of these modes represents literacy in different ways—scientific texts use language precision, graphs represent numerical data visually, and videos use sound and imagery to evoke emotional and intellectual understanding. Together, these literacies allow students to build a deeper comprehension of how science works and why it matters.

The role of literacies in this context is to bridge scientific concepts and human understanding. Through literacies, abstract data becomes something learners can see, hear, read, and even feel. It also develops critical thinking, as students must question the reliability of sources, compare different data presentations, and communicate findings in both written and oral forms. Teachers who integrate multimodal literacies—such as having students create their own posters or presentations about climate change—empower learners to express their scientific understanding creatively and meaningfully.

In conclusion, literacies in science education are powerful tools that transform information into knowledge. They allow students not just to consume data but to interpret, analyze, and communicate it effectively. This shows that literacy is not confined to reading and writing; it is a foundation for learning and expressing understanding across all academic disciplines.