Bookmark

Sign up or login to use the bookmarking feature.

33 Writing Photo Essays

Page
170
from
Write on Track

Writing Photo Essays

Start-Up Activity

Share appropriate magazines that include photos and text, such as National Geographic or Life. Have students page through the magazines, looking for photos that draw their attention. Ask what they like about the photos. Ask what they can learn from the photos. Ask them to close their eyes and imagine the magazine with no photos, just words.

Lead a discussion about the power of pictures. Help students understand that when they connect words and photos, they can reach their audience in all new ways.

Think About It

“We try to grab pieces of our lives as they speed past us. Photographs freeze those pieces and help us remember how we were.”

—Gene McSweeney

State Standards Covered in This Chapter

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.2

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.3

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.7

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2.A

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2.B

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.4

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.5

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.7

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2.C

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2.D

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2.E

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2.F

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.6

LAFS Covered in This Chapter

LAFS.6.RI.1.1

LAFS.6.RI.1.2

LAFS.6.RI.1.3

LAFS.6.RI.3.7

LAFS.6.W.1.2

LAFS.6.W.2.4

LAFS.6.W.2.5

LAFS.6.W.3.7

LAFS.6.W.2.6

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

110.22.b.5.F

110.22.b.8.D

110.22.b.8.D.i

110.22.b.6.D

110.22.b.8.D.iii

110.22.b.8.F

110.22.b.10

110.22.b.11.B

110.22.b.10.A

110.22.b.10.B.i

110.22.b.10.B.ii

110.22.b.10.B

110.22.b.10.C

110.22.b.10.D

110.22.b.12

110.22.b.10.E

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

Page 171 from Write on Track

Sample Photo Essay

Have volunteers read each paragraph of the sample photo essay. When a photo accompanies a paragraph, stop to discuss the photo. "How does the photo make the ideas clearer?" "What is the photo doing that the text can't do?" Point out to students that each photo must be carefully chosen and positioned, just as the words are carefully chosen and positioned.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.6.RI.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.22.b.5.F, 110.22.b.8.D
NE ELA Standard:
LA 6.1.6.e, LA 6.1.6.g

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 3
Mode:
Explanatory Writing
Form:
Photo Essay
English Language Arts:
WritingReading

Page 172 from Write on Track

Middle

Ask for a student volunteer to read the paragraph in the middle of the photo essay.

Then ask for other volunteers to describe "what the photo shows you." Help students understand that they can learn a great deal from a photo.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.6.RI.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.22.b.5.F, 110.22.b.8.D
NE ELA Standard:
LA 6.1.6.e, LA 6.1.6.g

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 3
Mode:
Explanatory Writing
Form:
Photo Essay
Theme:
Communication
English Language Arts:
Reading

Page 173 from Write on Track

Ending

Have a volunteer read the paragraph. Then lead a discussion about what they see. Ask students what the photos are doing that words alone can't do.

Then have a volunteer read the last part of the essay.

 

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.6.RI.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.22.b.5.F, 110.22.b.8.D
NE ELA Standard:
LA 6.1.6.e, LA 6.1.6.g

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 3
Mode:
Explanatory Writing
Form:
Photo Essay
Theme:
Communication
English Language Arts:
ReadingWriting

Page 174 from Write on Track

Writing a Photo Essay

Have your students list interesting people they know who have jobs or hobbies that other students would like to find out about. Students then should pick a topic.

Lead students through the next two sets of tips, having them research their topics and collect photos. If they know the person, they may want to interview him or her and take pictures. If they don't know the person, they may need to do research in books and online.

At the bottom of the page, remind students that the photos they include shouldn't just be "for show." They should communicate ideas that words can't express.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.6.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.22.b.10, 110.22.b.11.B
NE ELA Standard:
LA 6.2.1.b, LA 6.2.2, LA 6.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 3
Mode:
Explanatory Writing
Form:
Photo Essay
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessPrewriting

Page 175 from Write on Track

Writing, Revising, and Editing

After students have gathered information and images for their photo essays, lead them through "Writing a Draft." Then give them time to put their first drafts together.

When the time comes to revise, have students use the questions under "Revising" to improve their work. Also, have peer readers use these questions to suggest improvements.

After revising, have students check for spelling, capitalization, and punctuation errors.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.6.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.22.b.10, 110.22.b.11.B
NE ELA Standard:
LA 6.2.1.b, LA 6.2.2, LA 6.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 3
Mode:
Explanatory Writing
Form:
Photo Essay
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessWritingRevisingEditing