Questions to Inspire Close Observation Back to Teaching Suggestions

As you come across photos and videos on Journey North, try using some of the following questioning strategies. It's best to ask these types of questions before students (or you) have read photo descriptions or explanations from experts. You can have the class focus on just one image at a time or observe entire photo sequences or collections.

Observe Details

The more time and opportunities students have to carefully observe photos, the more detailed their observations will be. Here are some questions and instructions to engage them: What do you see? (Record one thing you notice and one question you have about the photo.) Keep looking for another minute (or more). Now what do you see? Add to your list one new thing you notice and another question you have. Make a “tube” with your thumb and fingers so you can look at just one small area or look at the photo from a different angle. What new things do you notice when you change perspective? What do you wonder about what you see? How could you find answers (e.g., observe more closely, conduct research)?

Make Comparisons

How is it the same as? Different than? What does it remind you of?

Count or Measure

How many? How long? How often? How much?

Interpret What You See

What do you think just happened? What do you think might happen next? What do you know from looking at this photo? What do you assume/infer from looking at it?* How would you explain _______________? What’s your hypothesis? What caption would you write for this photo? What do you think would happen if _______? How has what you’ve already experienced or learned influenced your response? How might someone see or interpret this same photo? Help students distinguish between observations (which are made by the senses and can be verified by other people) and inferences (interpretations of observations, which can vary greatly among people).

Consider New Information

After students have mined all they can from a photo, consider adding a new bit of information (or show the next photo in the sequence) to spark new thoughts and interpretations. Do you notice anything surprising or unusual? Describe what you see. How would you explain it? What if I told you....? (Give students time to come up with explanations.)

Discussion Questions

What new questions did your observations spark? How might you uncover the answers? If you were teaching younger kids to be observers, what advice would you give them? Do you look at photos differently now? Explain what has changed.