Guide to Writing Good Photoessays
Don’t lose this!
We’ll write 1 essay every 6 weeks
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
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
Example
• What observations do
you see in this photo?
Example
• What observations do
you see in this photo?
• Water
• 7 Penguins
• Iceburgs
• Polar bear with
penguin beak
• Cloudless sky
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
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
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
Writing a Rough Draft
1. Write in pencil on lined paper, doublespaced.
2. Your essay needs a unique title
3. Three parts: Introduction, Body,
Conclusion
4. Don’t forget to include your name and a
proper heading on the rough draft
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.
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
_______________. “
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______________.
Back to the example
Introduction
What is funny in this
cartoon is that the
polar bear is disguised
as a penguin.
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.
Example
Conclusion
All in all, this cartoon was interesting. I
learned a lot of science concepts.
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.