• Home
  • Books
    • Sharks Unhooked: The Adventures of Cristina Zenato, Underwater Ranger
    • Giant Rays of Hope: Protecting Manta Rays to Safeguard the Sea
    • A River’s Gifts: The Mighty Elwha River Reborn
    • Planet Ocean
    • Eavesdropping on Elephants
    • Neema’s Reason To Smile
    • Zoo Scientists to the Rescue
    • Sea Otter Heroes: The Predators That Saved an Ecosystem
    • Plastic, Ahoy! Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
    • Ebola: Fears and Facts
    • Jingle the Brass
    • Nugget on the Flight Deck
    • Surviving Animal Attacks
    • Elite Operations series
    • Energy Lab series
    • QuickReads Fluency Library
    • Books for English language-learners
    • Writers write all kinds of things
  • Author Visit Programs
    • FAQs
    • Calendar
  • Blog
  • Educator Resources
    • STEM + Literacy Activities
    • Teacher Guides
    • Earth Day Every Day newsletter archive
    • LitLinks
    • KidLit creators who make kids want to read
  • Writer Resources
    • Writing Classes
    • Manuscript or Proposal Critiques
    • How I got my start
  • Who is Patricia Newman?
  • Contact
    • Stay In Touch
    • Earth Day Every Day newsletter archive
Patricia NewmanPatricia Newman
Sibert Honor Children's Book Author & Environmentalist
  • Home
  • Books
    • Sharks Unhooked: The Adventures of Cristina Zenato, Underwater Ranger
    • Giant Rays of Hope: Protecting Manta Rays to Safeguard the Sea
    • A River’s Gifts: The Mighty Elwha River Reborn
    • Planet Ocean
    • Eavesdropping on Elephants
    • Neema’s Reason To Smile
    • Zoo Scientists to the Rescue
    • Sea Otter Heroes: The Predators That Saved an Ecosystem
    • Plastic, Ahoy! Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
    • Ebola: Fears and Facts
    • Jingle the Brass
    • Nugget on the Flight Deck
    • Surviving Animal Attacks
    • Elite Operations series
    • Energy Lab series
    • QuickReads Fluency Library
    • Books for English language-learners
    • Writers write all kinds of things
  • Author Visit Programs
    • FAQs
    • Calendar
  • Blog
  • Educator Resources
    • STEM + Literacy Activities
    • Teacher Guides
    • Earth Day Every Day newsletter archive
    • LitLinks
    • KidLit creators who make kids want to read
  • Writer Resources
    • Writing Classes
    • Manuscript or Proposal Critiques
    • How I got my start
  • Who is Patricia Newman?
  • Contact
    • Stay In Touch
    • Earth Day Every Day newsletter archive
Alex in a kelp forest

LitLinks: Let’s learn to decode photos in STEM nonfiction

March 3, 2021 LitLinks, LitLinks-Grade 3-5, LitLinks-Grade 6-8, LitLinks-High School No Comments
LitLinks Logo-1 (2)

BY PATRICIA NEWMAN


Most of my nonfiction books are illustrated with photos of real people doing real work in real places around the world. In Planet Ocean: Why We All Need a Healthy Ocean, Annie Crawley’s images capture moments in our ocean’s story. They elicit a spectrum of emotions, insights, and experiences, and are therefore powerful tools.

Planet Ocean cover
Find out more about Planet Ocean

In Planet Ocean, the text and photos help readers view the ocean from an underwater perspective. We often look at the pounding surf and a beautiful Pacific sunset and feel connected to the sea. In reality, the core of our connection to the sea lies underwater in the plant and animal life that live beneath the waves. So Annie and I made sure we saved room for big, beautiful photos to share this unique perspective with readers.

What are the photos telling us?

The following activity comes from our curriculum guide for the book* and will help your students “read” the photographs in Planet Ocean to understand their meanings and messages.

You will need:

  • A copy of Planet Ocean
  • 4 different color markers
  • Smart board for in-person instruction or a virtual whiteboard (like Jamboard) for virtual instruction

Project your chosen photo on your smart board/virtual whiteboard. (For the purposes of this example, I will use what Annie and I call “the creepy baby photo” on page 17 of Planet Ocean.)

Describe — Look at the facts/what do you see?

Credit: @AnnieCrawley #PlanetOceanBook

Select one of the colored markers. Then ask students to write directly on the smart board (in Jamboard, students will use the same color sticky notes). Student notes should be confined to the facts of the photo. Use the following prompts to get them started.

  • colors (e.g. blue water)
  • time of day
  • the people (e.g. floating doll)
  • the landscape
  • shapes and textures (e.g. bumpy coral)
  • text

Analyze — Ask questions, begin an inquiry

Using a different color marker, ask students to add to their descriptions above. In this step students begin to ask questions about the photo. You can prompt them will these sample questions:

  • What draws your eye immediately?
  • What is going on in the foreground, background, middle ground?
  • Are there any recognizable buildings or landmarks?
  • What is the overall mood or feeling?
  • Photographer choices: Why this angle? What’s left out?
  • 5 W’s and an H (Who?  What? Where? When? Why? How?)

Interpret— Use the descriptions and questions to infer what is happening

In this step, students begin to formulate inferences about the photo. Assgn a third color for these comments.

  • Use the information and clues you have from the description and analysis steps to draw conclusions about the photograph.  Connect your information together so it makes sense.
  • Can you infer what is happening in the photograph?

Evaluate — Title the work by synthesizing what you’ve learned

The last colored marker is reserved for this step. At this point, students begin to make judgements about the photo and its themes/messages.

  • What do you think about this work?
  • What is the photographer trying to say? What’s the big idea?
  • Why did the photographer choose this angle?
  • What is left out of the photograph? 
  • Make a judgment about the value, significance and importance of the photograph.  
  • What would you title/name the photograph?

Photos + text

Now, ask students to read the first two chapters of Planet Ocean — “The Maps Are Wrong” and “The Coral Triangle.” Ask them the following questions:

  • How did the stories and scientific information in these two chapters affect your interpretation and evaluation of the photo?
  • What other thoughts would you add to the photo after reading the text?

Featured image credit: Annie Crawley #PlanetOceanBook

*Photo activity adapted from from Noa Daniel, Building Outside the Blocks. Adapted from McCoy, Laura. “Decoding Photographs.” Collections Canada. Government of Canada, n.d. Web. 15 Aug. 2013.


Patricia Newman’s books show young readers how their actions can ripple around the world. Using social and environmental injustice as inspiration, she empowers young readers to seek connections to the real world and to use their imaginations to act on behalf of their communities. A Robert F. Sibert Honor recipient, Patricia’s books have received starred reviews, ALA Notable recognition, Green Earth Book Awards, an Outstanding Science Trade Book Award, a Parents’ Choice Award; been honored as Junior Library Guild selections; and been included on Bank Street College’s Best Books lists. One Texas librarian recently wrote, “Patricia is one of THE BEST nonfiction authors writing for our students in today’s market, and one of our MUST HAVE AUTHORS for every collection.”

Patricia frequently speaks at schools and conferences to share how children of any age can affect change. Educators describe her presentations as “phenomenal,” “fantastic,” “mesmerizing,” “passionate,” and “inspirational.”

Connect with Patricia in one of the following ways:

  • Website: Home – Patricia Newman (patriciamnewman.com)
  • Twitter: @PatriciaNewman
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest

Click for more LITLINKS STEM + Literacy activities

Tags: STEM+LiteracySTEM+Literacy Natural Science
No Comments
Share
1

You also might be interested in

Elephants - Serengeti National Park safari - Tanzania, Africa

LitLinks: 3 easy ways to practice poetic form and visual literacy in science poetry

Mar 2, 2022

GUEST BLOGGER LESLIE BULION Serengeti: Plains of Grass invites readers[...]

LitLinks-improve-writing-with-NF-kidlit

LitLinks: How to improve student writing with 3 unique lessons from nonfiction kidlit

Oct 4, 2023

PATRICIA NEWMAN More ways to use nonfiction literature to improve[...]

cabinet-of-curiosities

LitLinks: Show students how to create a cabinet of curiosities

Aug 7, 2024

GUEST BLOGGER BETH ANDERSON Thomas Jefferson lived when science was[...]

Leave a Reply

Your email is safe with me.
Cancel Reply

Click the logo to have LitLinks delivered to your inbox

LitLinks Logo-2022

Author Visits

https://youtu.be/zj6n-RFOcPA?si=8WCTnyXbTiwYumYo
https://youtu.be/ziN0UrqaDYI

Earth Day Every Day Newsletter Archive

Earth-Day-Every-Day-newsletter-banner

Post Categories:

Blog Archive

Top Posts

LitLinks: How to share our ocean connections with kids and teens

LitLinks: Let’s learn to decode photos in STEM nonfiction

LitLinks: How Elephants Can Make Your Sound Unit ROAR!

LitLinks: Easy ways to build students’ science communication skills

Proof that science connects kids to the larger world

Recent Comments

  • Danna Smith on LitLinks: Did you know goats can teach children about homonyms? I love this series of books!
  • Raven Howell on LitLinks: Did you know goats can teach children about homonyms? Absolutely love this piece you wrote! Thanks for sharing your…
  • Annie Lynn on LitLinks: 3 easy ways to use animals to introduce onomatopoeia Wonderful idea to link sounds and musical instruments to nature…
Empowering young readers to act

Latest Blog Posts

  • LitLinks: How playing with existing ideas might lead to new ones
    LitLinks: How playing with existing ideas might lead to new ones
  • LitLinks: How to create a sniffing map to explore our sense of smell
    LitLinks: How to create a sniffing map to explore our sense of smell
  • LitLinks: Sound maps help kids focus on the sounds of nature
    LitLinks: Sound maps help kids focus on the sounds of nature

Connect with me on social media

Action Shots

Check out the STEM Tuesday Blog

© 2025 — Patricia Newman

  • Home
  • Books
    • Sharks Unhooked: The Adventures of Cristina Zenato, Underwater Ranger
    • Giant Rays of Hope: Protecting Manta Rays to Safeguard the Sea
    • A River’s Gifts: The Mighty Elwha River Reborn
    • Planet Ocean
    • Eavesdropping on Elephants
    • Neema’s Reason To Smile
    • Zoo Scientists to the Rescue
    • Sea Otter Heroes: The Predators That Saved an Ecosystem
    • Plastic, Ahoy! Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
    • Ebola: Fears and Facts
    • Jingle the Brass
    • Nugget on the Flight Deck
    • Surviving Animal Attacks
    • Elite Operations series
    • Energy Lab series
    • QuickReads Fluency Library
    • Books for English language-learners
    • Writers write all kinds of things
  • Author Visit Programs
    • FAQs
    • Calendar
  • Blog
  • Educator Resources
    • STEM + Literacy Activities
    • Teacher Guides
    • Earth Day Every Day newsletter archive
    • LitLinks
    • KidLit creators who make kids want to read
  • Writer Resources
    • Writing Classes
    • Manuscript or Proposal Critiques
    • How I got my start
  • Who is Patricia Newman?
  • Contact
    • Stay In Touch
    • Earth Day Every Day newsletter archive
Prev Next