Recommended time
Minimum 90 minutes, maximum two hours

Before doing this session, check out YouthLearn's article on inquiry-based learning.

Goals for the session

• Define questions and issues to be investigated through the photo essay
• Practice interviewing skills

Outcomes

• Inquiry sheets
• Visual map
• Options chart
• Interview question cards

Materials and equipment

• A computer with Internet and email access
• A copy of the book Witnesses to Freedom: Young People Who Fought for Civil Rights, by Belinda Rochelle
• Newsprint sheets or a roll of butcher paper
• Index cards
• Pens
• Colored markers
• Inquiry formation sheets
• Composition books (one for each participant and facilitator)

Part 1: Read-Aloud

What is it?
Suggested reading is the third chapter of Witnesses to Freedom: Young People Who Fought for Civil Rights, by Belinda Rochelle.

Suggested questions

• What is happening in the photo of Elizabeth Eckford walking to Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas? How does this photo make you feel? Why do you think the photographer chose this particular composition (arrangement of elements in a photo)?
• Elizabeth Eckford and the other eight African American students at Central High School experienced a lot of abuse every day. Why was it important for them to respond to the abuse in a nonviolent way? What do you think would have happened if they had responded with verbal or physical violence?
• Elizabeth Eckford says, "Even though there was a screaming mob outside of that school every day, there were a lot of people—families and people that I didn't know—who supported us." How did Elizabeth and the other eight African American students know that they had support?

Part 2: Inquiry Sheets

What is it?
Participants will write questions defining the topics they want to investigate in their photo essays.

How to
Print out the inquiry process handout sheets available from the article on how to develop an inquiry-based project or make your own handout sheets. Participants should have the following:

Have participants work on their question sheets in pairs. Bring the group back together and ask participants to share their questions. Write the questions on cards or on a posted sheet of paper.

Another way to define the inquiry for the photo essay content is to create a KWHL chart.

• K stands for "What do we KNOW?"
• W stands for "WHAT do we want to find out?"
• H stands for "HOW can we find out what we want to learn?"
• L stands for "What did we LEARN?"

A KWHL chart is easy to make and use. It can be used to introduce question formation or in lieu of question sheets. A sample KWHL chart is available from Graphic Organizers by Greg Freeman.

Part 3: Visual Mapping of Site Visits

What is it?
Ask the group to map out ideas for a site visit to collect content for the photo essay. Taking photos would be one aspect of the visit; other activities might include interviewing and conducting surveys.

A site visit could be as close as a space inside your building, the street outside your door or a park in your neighborhood. The site could also be farther away, requiring transportation and a scheduled visit.

Map ideas
Central word: Sites

• Question for first circle: What sites can we visit to take photos about the questions and issues we want to investigate for our photo essays?
• Question for second circle: What other activities can we do at these sites to create content for the photo essays?
• Question for third circle: Who can help us at these sites?

Part 4: Options Chart

How to
Have the group create and fill in a chart of the possible photo essay inquiries, content collection and site locations to help finalize the decision on what to do and where to do it.

The group could choose to do one essay as a group or do separate essays by working in pairs or teams of three or four. Working individually is not recommended for the photo essay assignment because it will increase the time required to gather material and reduce opportunities for cooperative work.

Time and resources permitting, the group may decide that multiple site visits are required to collect content for the essay.

Sample inquiry and site visit chart

Part 5: Interview Role-Plays

What is it?
Interviewing will be an integral part of the photo essay content collection. Successful interviewing requires practice. Participants will brainstorm interview questions and role-play an interview.

How to
Have participants work in pairs. Each pair uses index cards to write down five or six interview questions about the photo essay they will be working on.

After questions are written, reconvene the group to role-play interviewing someone with the questions. Ask a volunteer to do the first role-play with the facilitator. The facilitator should first play the interviewer, then switch roles. Point out what was effective about the volunteer's interviewing techniques and make suggestions for improvement. Emphasize body gestures, volume and clarity of speech and effectiveness of the questions. Note-taking techniques are also important. Next, ask two new volunteers to role-play an interview in front of the group. Then have the group practice in pairs.

If the participants would like to conduct a survey as part of content collection, write out survey questions and role-play conducting the survey.

Part 6: Email Journals

What is it?
Work on email journals, as described in Session 1, Part 5.

Part 7: Personal Reading

What is it?
Participants select books or other material to read silently for at least 10 minutes.