Instructional Strategies
Zoom-In Activities
Zoom-In Inquiry is often an introduction portion of a lesson. During this activity, students uncover a primary source image piece by piece in order to understand a big idea or theme related to curriculum standards. An investigative question starts the exploration and guiding questions focused on observation, interpretation, and evaluation follow as pieces of the image are revealed one at a time. Students use evidence and subject specific vocabulary to support their hypotheses. Students reflect on their understanding of the primary source and its relationship to "the big picture" or a large scale understanding that is overarching and essential to the subject. Finally, other related primary sources are presented that ask students to apply knowledge and understanding from the Zoom-In Inquiry to a new source or problem.
Understanding Goal 
Digital primary sources provide unique opportunities for students to ask questions and make discoveries.
Best Instructional Practices
Directions for creating a Zoom-In
- Use the Directions to crop an image in PowerPoint.
- Use Creating Questions to create inquiry questions to guide students toward the "big picture". View an example set of questions used in the Nature Zoom-In.
Links to Learning Experiences
Arts
Zoom-In - Composer: Aaron CoplandZoom-In: Abstract Art
Zoom-In: Facial Expressions and the Statue of Liberty
Zoom-In: Mary Cassatt
Zoom-In: The Bombing of Ft. McHenry Inspires Francis Scott Key to write "The Star Spangled Banner"
Zoom-In: Virginia Reel
Zoom-In: William Johnson
Counseling
Zoom-In: Attitudes Come From HomeForeign Languages
Zoom-In: HabitatZoom-In: La bandera de las estrellas
Language Arts
Zoom In: Desegregation - Living TogetherZoom In: Reading about the Holocaust: What's the Journey?
Zoom In: Using Advertisements to Persuade
Zoom-In: American Revolution, Who, what, when, where, why in pictures!
Zoom-In: Child Labor
Zoom-In: Details Make the Whole Picture
Zoom-In: Essay Writing
Zoom-In: Flood
Zoom-In: Grapes of Wrath
Zoom-In: Journal
Zoom-In: Letter
Zoom-In: Making Predictions
Zoom-In: Martin Luther King Jr.
Zoom-In: Nursery Rhymes Past and Present
Zoom-In: Poetry with Little Miss Muffet
Zoom-In: Purpose of a Letter
Zoom-In: Reflections on Hispanic-American Poetry and Art
Zoom-In: Relationships in Nature
Zoom-In: Settings Using Prediction
Zoom-In: Speaking with Purpose
Zoom-In: The Civil Rights Movement
Zoom-In: The Crucible
Zoom-In: Using Descriptive Writing
Zoom-In: Using Primary Sources to Build Background Knowledge for Historical Fiction Text
Zoom-In: Walt Whitman's Butterfly
Zoom-In: Weather and Weather Activities Museum
Zoom-In: Zoo Experiences
Math
Zoom-In, Investigations: Document: Jefferson's use of Logarithms and Geometric SequenceZoom-In: Ancient Calendars
Zoom-In: Early 20th Century Original Student Math Problem
Zoom-In: Exploring Geometry, Symmetry and Congruency in the World Around Us (SMART Board)
Zoom-In: Geometry
Zoom-In: Geometry Architecture
Zoom-In: Geometry in our World
Zoom-In: Patterns and Geometry
Zoom-In: Patterns Are Everywhere
Zoom-In: Reflectional Symmetry
Zoom-In: What Do We Measure?
PE/Health
Zoom-In PlaygroundZoom-In: Colonial Dance
Zoom-In: Prohibition
Professional Studies
Zoom-In: FireZoom-In: Fire
Zoom-In: Inventions
Science
Zoom In Thought Bubbles: Human Impact on the Environment: Controlling the UncontrollableZoom In: Simple Machines
Zoom-In: Atom Structure
Zoom-In: Composite Volcanoes
Zoom-In: Earthquake Destruction
Zoom-In: Earthquake Writing Activity
Zoom-In: Energy Introduction
Zoom-In: Erosion
Zoom-In: Erosion
Zoom-In: Erosion and Land Use
Zoom-In: Habitats
Zoom-In: Hurricane Disaster Discovery
Zoom-In: Identifying Habitats and their Characteristics
Zoom-In: Inference in Science
Zoom-In: Introduction to Volcanoes
Zoom-In: Living Things
Zoom-In: Map of Earthquakes and Volcanoes
Zoom-In: Muir Glacier
Zoom-In: Muscle Power Advertisement
Zoom-In: Nature
Zoom-In: Resources
Zoom-In: Submersible Designs
Social Studies
Zoom In (overhead projector): Introduction to Rosa ParksZoom In: American Flag
Zoom In: Civil War - What War Is This? (write in answer boxes)
Zoom In: Sioux
Zoom In: World War I Soldiers at the front
Zoom-In and Investigate: the role of maps in the Colonization of North America
Zoom-In: Abraham Lincoln cartoon
Zoom-In: American Symbol: The American Flag
Zoom-In: Ancient Egypt
Zoom-In: Ancient Egypt
Zoom-In: Ancient Egypt Architecture
Zoom-In: Ancient Greece
Zoom-In: Ben Franklin's View of the Colonies/Political Cartoons
Zoom-In: Betsy Ross
Zoom-In: Bombardment of Fort Sumter
Zoom-In: Boston Massacre
Zoom-In: Boxer Rebellion in China
Zoom-In: Christopher Columbus
Zoom-In: Christopher Columbus
Zoom-In: City of Alexandria, Virginia
Zoom-In: Civics and Making a Difference
Zoom-In: Civil War Leadership-The Union
Zoom-In: Colosseum in Rome
Zoom-In: Committee of Congress - Drafting the Declaration of Independence
Zoom-In: Constitutional Convention
Zoom-In: Constitutional Convention
Zoom-In: Depression Era
Zoom-In: Different Experiences of the Civil War (Women & Slaves)
Zoom-In: Economics
Zoom-In: Emancipation Day, Virginia Civil War
Zoom-In: Examining a Photograph from the Civil War
Zoom-In: Exploration and Trade
Zoom-In: Explorer
Zoom-In: Explorers
Zoom-In: Explorers
Zoom-In: Famous Americans
Zoom-In: Famous Women in US History - Pocahontas, Betsy Ross, Helen Keller, Susan B. Anthony, and Rosa Parks
Zoom-In: General Store
Zoom-In: George Washington
Zoom-In: Hopi Indians
Zoom-In: Hopi Pueblos
Zoom-In: Hopi Women Collecting Water in the Desert
Zoom-In: How has technology changed over the years? SMART Board
Zoom-In: I Challenge You to Guess...
Zoom-In: Inflation and the Rise of Adolf Hitler
Zoom-In: Introduction to the Armenian Genocide
Zoom-In: Japanese Internment During World War II
Zoom-In: Jobs of the Past in Alexandria
Zoom-In: Manifest Destiny
Zoom-In: Map Reflecting Exploration and Settlement of North America
Zoom-In: Monitor and Merrimac
Zoom-In: Mount Vernon - George Washington's Home.
Zoom-In: Native American Food
Zoom-In: North American Geographic Regions - Rocky Mountains
Zoom-In: Our Nation's Geography: U.S. Land and Regions
Zoom-In: Parthenon in Athens
Zoom-In: Post-War
Zoom-In: Powhatan - Eastern Woodland Tribe
Zoom-In: Primary Sources
Zoom-In: Problems with Urbanization, Child Labor
Zoom-In: Producers and Consumers
Zoom-In: Prohibition in America
Zoom-In: Pueblos of the Southwest
Zoom-In: Richmond Bridge
Zoom-In: Rosa Parks
Zoom-In: School Segregation
Zoom-In: Segregation
Zoom-In: Segregation Protest
Zoom-In: Slavery in America
Zoom-In: Surrender at Yorktown
Zoom-In: Technology and Society the Golden Gate Bridge
Zoom-In: The Battle of Bull Run
Zoom-In: The Civil War's impact on Americans
Zoom-In: The Washington Monument
Zoom-In: The Wedding of Pocahontas and John Rolfe
Zoom-In: Then and Now the Shape of Virginia
Zoom-In: Transportation
Zoom-In: Trench Warfare in World War I
Zoom-In: U.S. Patriotic Symbols
Zoom-In: Westward Expansion
Zoom-In: Westward Expansion, Sectionalism in the United States, Transcontinental Railroad
Zoom-In: Women's Suffrage
Zoom-In: Women's Suffrage
Zoom-In: Woolworth Skyscraper New York City 1912