Guide to Writing Good Photo-essays

1. Guide to Writing Good Photo-essays Don’t lose this! We’ll write 1 essay every 6 weeks

2. What is a photo-essay • A photo-essay is a short paragraph that you will write about a photograph or cartoon. • In the essay you will identify and define scientific concepts you see in the photo. • A photo-essay is made of three parts: An introduction, the body, and a conclusion • These notes will guide you through writing a rough draft

3. Brainstorming 1. List 5 observations (qualitative & quantitative) you see in the photo 2. Select 3 of these observations and identify a “scientific concept” they relate to 3. Write a definition for your scientific concept 4. Find other things in your photo that relate to the concept

4. Example • What observations do you see in this photo?

5. Example • What observations do you see in this photo? • Water • 7 Penguins • Iceburgs • Polar bear with penguin beak • Cloudless sky

6. Example Select 3 observations and define science concepts (science vocab, big ideas in science) • Water States of matter • 7 Penguins • Iceburgs • Polar bear with penguin beak Predator-Prey • Cloudless sky condensation

7. Example Define Science Concepts • States of matter: All matter exists in 1 of three states: solid (hard, structured), liquid (flows, cannot be compressed) , or gas (can be compressed) • Predator-Prey: This is a relationship between 2 organisms where one, the predator, hunts the other, the prey, for food. • Condensation: This is step in the water cycle where clouds are formed from evaporated water

8. Example • Are there other things in the picture that relate to the science concepts? • States of matter: Ice= solid, Air = gas • Predator-Prey: Nope • Condensation: Nope

9. Writing a Rough Draft • Write in pencil on lined paper, double-spaced. • Your essay needs a unique title • Three parts: Introduction, Body, Conclusion • Don’t forget to include your name and a proper heading on the rough draft

10. Introduction • Select one of the following: • What is interesting in this picture is _________________. • What is funny in this cartoon is _______________. • At first I didn’t get the picture, but after _______________ I understand why it is funny.

11. Body • Pick the best two of the concepts you identified in brainstorming and turn them into complete sentences. • The body must identify what you see in the picture that relates to the science concept. • The body must also include a definition of your concept. • “One science concept in this picture is _______________. “

12. Conclusion • Select one of the following: • All in all, this cartoon was interesting. I learned a lot of science concepts. • This assignment was really fun because__________________. • This cartoon was really funny because __________________. • To summarize, this picture showed the following 2 science concepts: ___________ and______________.

13. Back to the example Introduction What is funny in this cartoon is that the polar bear is disguised as a penguin.

14. Example Body One science concept in this picture is the states of matter. The three states of matter are solid, liquid, and gas. The ice in this picture is a solid, the water is a liquid, and the air is a gas. Another concept is the predator-prey relationship or when one animal hunts another for food. In this picture, the polar bear is hunting the penguins.

15. Example Conclusion All in all, this cartoon was interesting. I learned a lot of science concepts.

16. Hunter in Disguise What is funny in this cartoon is that the polar bear is disguised as a penguin. One science concept in this picture is the states of matter. The three states of matter are solid, liquid, and gas. The ice in this picture is a solid, the water is a liquid, and the air is a gas. Another concept is the predator-prey relationship or when one animal hunts another for food. In this picture, the polar bear is hunting the penguins. All in all, this cartoon was interesting. I learned a lot of science concepts.