Lesson Adapted from YPAR

Unit Title: Photovoice for Student Choice

Lesson: 1 of 10

Lesson Title:
Freeze Frame!
What is Photovoice, Participatory Action Research (PAR)

Lesson Objective:
Photovoice is a qualitative participatory action research (PAR) method. The research
participants are typically those who have been marginalized, lack power, representation and/or
voice. How does Photovoice work? A research questions is formulated, analyzed, and
understood by the participants (students in this case). The participants go out into their
community (school, home, neighborhood) and photograph answers to the research questions
from their perspective. Each participant chooses a specified number of photographs they want to
contribute to the data set. Then, the participants write down on a datasheet the photograph
number and why they selected the photograph to be included in the data sets. The photographs
along with their narration (data) will be coded to determine trends that help to answer the
research questions below.
In the context of this lesson, the students are learning what Photovoice qualitative
participatory action research is and how it is a useful methodology for learning people's
perspectives and advocacy. Students will eventually put to practice what they learn to answer
these research questions for the teacher:

1. How does using Photovoice help the teacher learn about female students' interests in
STEAM as it relates to environmental science.

2. How will connecting curriculum to female students' interests influence middle school
girls to have a curiosity in environmental STEAM disciplines?

Learning Objective:
 Learn what Photovoice Participatory Action Research is
 Understand the purpose of Photovoice
 Become familiar with qualitative research and the scientific method
 Brainstorm the main ideas of the research topic
 Identify what science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) may look like in
school, home, community
 Understand team roles for data collection & analysis
 Understand different forms of decision making

Key Words:
Photovoice, Participatory Action Research, Advocacy, STEAM, Stakeholders, Empower
Lesson Adapted from YPAR

Grade Level: 6-8 Timing: 90 minutes (2 class periods)

Related Activities: Materials:

 Verbal & Non Verbal  Flip Chart Poster Paper
Communication  Color Marker (1 pack/table)
 Making Observations  Field Journals
 Developing Questions  Camera Assortment (broken samples
 Respecting Privacy collected from photography, yearbook
 Team Building class, and staff)
 Collaborative Work  Jenga Blocks
 Photovoice Unit Google Slides 2-10

Setting: Classroom

Standards:
CTE:
Communication
2.6 Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of digital media information and
communications technologies.

Responsibility and Flexibility

7.4 Practice time management and efficiency to fulfill responsibilities

Leadership and Teamwork

9.10 Understand how to organize and structure work, individually and in teams, for effective
performance and the attainment of goals.

Next Generation Science Standards:

Featured Practice Featured Crosscutting Disciplinary Core
Concept Ideas

 Asking Questions & Defining Patterns N/A

Problems
 Planning & Carrying out
investigations
 Analyzing & Interpreting Data

Common Core State Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.7. & SL.1
Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and
quantitatively, as well as in words and orally.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.3
Follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or
performing technical tasks.
Lesson Adapted from YPAR

ACTIVITY OVERVIEW
Photovoice Participatory Action Learning Cycle Stages Estimated
Research Time

A. Invitation to Investigation: Prior Knowledge, Exploration, 20 minutes

Making Observations & Reflecting Application

B. Choosing Definitions Concept Invention 30 Minutes

C. Understanding Roles in Teams Concept Invention & Application 25 Minutes

D. Research Question Analysis Concept Invention, Application, & 25 Minutes

Reflection

Total 100 Minutes

Preparation:
 Prepare posters with the following headings; two of each: Photovoice, Participatory,
Action, Research, Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, & Math.
 Place cameras on tables for the Invitation to Investigate; Photovoice Unit Google Slide
#2.
 Prepare Jenga Blocks for group sets Day 2

Activity

PART I (Day 1)
A. Freeze Frame
Slide #2 and Field Journals
Exploration and Reflection Observations
Hook: Tool Assessment
1. Camera assortment spread out on student tables to hook student interest with realia.
2. Display on the LCD projector Google Slide # 2 of their task instructions/questions:
a. List all the things the cameras remind you of? You are encouraged to open your
imagination and put all thoughts down in your field journal.
b. Review your list. Now group items in the lists based on how they share
relationships.
c. Tell me about your photographs that have the most meaning to you AND tell me
why they are meaningful.
d. Looking at these cameras placed around the room, tell me all the different
purposes that camera serve as tools. Do not simply make a list. Be exact and
detailed in your descriptions.
3. Whole class discuss students list from questions a and b, their groupings. See if any of the
groupings form part b share “a” relationship to question “d”.
4. Discuss Prompt “d” to determine students understanding of how cameras are used as
tools in society and if they make connections to STEAM disciplines. Find out what they
Lesson Adapted from YPAR

know and make this knowledge explicit with them through modeling paraphrasing and
thinking aloud.
5. Discuss question c and collect data as students share on a poster paper. Label this poster
“Data”. After students share some of their most memorable photos, as a class find
patterns (use this word NGSS) in the data where they have commonalities as a group.
Also look for where the data diverges.

6. Ask the students to help group these patterns. Ask someone to be a scribe to help with the
groupings. Save this poster for later reverence material.

B. Choosing Definitions
Nine Words/ Four Walls – Flip Chart Paper

1. Look around the room and see there are eight posters. On walls 1 and 2 the posters have
the words on them: Photo, Voice, Participatory, Action, Research. On walls 3 and 4, the
words Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math are written on those posters.

2. Student Instructions: Read these words and think about what the definitions mean to you.

3. Select one marker from the box. This color is yours and only you will use it at from your
tables. Each person at the table should have a different color marker. Avoid light colors
like yellow.

4. I am going to number you off. You will be either a 1, 2, 3, or 4. If you are a 1, you will go
to wall one (1) first and neatly write down what that word means to you on each poster.
Persons 2, 3, and 4 will do the same on walls two, three, and four. After a few moments, I
will have you pause and you will move to other posters as directed. Think of each
definition as a conversation thread on social media. You may add to the definition of
another person and expand on their idea, add an alternative definition, agree or disagree
with a definition a person posted.

5. This process is done in walls of silence. This means there will be no discussion during
this process. We need to be mindful during this moment. If you need to talk, notice that
need and I encourage you to remind yourself you need to refocus and add to the
discussion threads on the wall. There will be plenty of time for discussion after everyone
has had a chance to contribute to our class definitions.

6. After about 4 minutes at each wall, students return to their seats.

7. Discussion (Ink, Pair, Share; Listening Skills: 4 L’s Look & Lean toward each other,
Lower Voice, Listen, one person talks at a time) Slide #3
a. Which words were more challenging for you to define? Let’s discuss those words
first.
b. Did anyone find that there was more than one definition for a word - did a
classmate see something differently?
c. If we put the words Photovoice together, what do you think that means?
Lesson Adapted from YPAR

d. If we group the words Participatory Action Research together, what do you

visualize
e. What do you think STEAM stands for?

Part II (Day 2)
C. Understanding Roles in Teams
Invitation – Warm Up Slide #8

Discussion:

 Remember group projects you have already done in this class and your other classes?
How did you each play different roles in your group?

1. Each group gets an equal number of Jenga Blocks to make the tallest tower possible.

2. The teams have ONLY five minutes to design plan and 10 minutes to build.

3. Measure towers to see which team built tallest tower and compare designs.

4. The students answer the follow questions and clean up:

a. Rate how will you worked as a team: Excellent to Poor
b. Was each team mate included and did you play different roles?
c. What are things you did that helped you to become successful?
d. Who were the leaders in the group? Was leadership equally shared?
e. What would you change to do better next time?
5. Set three goals stating how you will support each other as you collect and analyze data
for this research project. (Prepare to share these.)

D. Research Question Analysis

Slide #9-10
 What are students interests in science, technology, engineering, art, and math?
 What are students interest in the environment or nature?

1. Discuss with your team a strategy you may use to photograph answers to the research
questions.
2. Is there anything you are curious about with these questions? For example, why are they
important to answer?

 After about ten minutes, discuss as a whole class what students think about the research
questions and check for engagement, and buy-in with Photovoice Project.

Reflection (Closure & Clean Up)

Today we learned what Photovoice and STEAM are, and the research questions we hope to have
answered. You also learned what it feels like to work in a team and accomplish a common goal.
You also know more about STEAM and will have chance to share what you would like to learn.

Misconceptions
Lesson Adapted from YPAR

Students may not understand they are researcher for the project and part of the research focus.

Assessment

Formative:
Field Journal Entries with Reflective Responses to Question Prompt
Poster Definitions and Class Discussion

Summative:
N/A Yet
End of Unit Exhibit of Photovoice Project:
- Poster Board, Slide Show, Documentary (Student Choice)

Accommodations:
1. Review IEPs and 504 plans to determine specific modifications.
2. Monitor students who need support and guide them if needed.
3. Encourage their progress as they take ownership.
4. Notice their color markers and take notes in your teacher journal so you can track their
contributions (or lack thereof) and identify any necessary supports.

Hand-outs
N/A