Want your students to slow down and notice details when they read — whether they’re reading a novel, a poem or a cartoon? Students often want to hurry up and make meaning with a quick skim or a quick glance when it should demand patience and focus. Closely reading or looking and studying requires that students proceed more slowly and methodically, noticing details, making connections and asking questions. 
 
Here are several “What’s Going On Here?” photographs and that have successfully caught attention in the journalistic news world. They spark curiosity to make people want to know what's really going on in the image. There are 4 basic questions that students are asked about each image. It encourages them to really look, and then look again. 
 
These make great bell ringers, conversation starters, group discussion. There are 8 total images. 2 on each page (4 student sheets total). Teacher notes for each image with the background for each. Also is a large format picture of each (important to show these large so students can really study them). Not only can these apply to photography but also is a natural lead in to art and even other subjects. Students learn to slow down and really observe and dig for details.
 
I break these up and do 2 images for each class and pass around the large format pictures till everyone has had a chance to really study the details. Since the images are journalistic, it always leads to discussion that can be political in nature, historical impact etc.