Procedure

1. Divide students into groups of four. Give each member of the group a copy of an image (political cartoon, artwork, or photograph) with only one fourth of the visual showing. You can use editing tools, markers, or paper to block out three fourths of the image. Assign each member of the group a different quadrant to analyze.

2. Ask each student to list the details they observe in their assigned quarter of the image.

3. Students can also hypothesize, answering questions such as “What do you predict will be found in the remaining portions of the image?” and explain their reasoning.

4. Group members then come together and synthesize their lists of details, writing a summary of the image as a whole.

5. Lead a class discussion on the importance of looking for key details, such as visual elements deliberately placed there by the cartoonist, artist, or photographer.