Zoom-In is a durable learning routine with three key teaching moves: Prompt Student Thinking, Gather Responses, and Make Meaning.
During Zoom-In, P-12 students uncover a primary source, text, artwork, student work or any other image piece by piece in order to look closely and use background knowledge to build understanding. Student curiosity is prompted by an overarching question and guiding questions support students in observation, interpretation, and evaluation as small pieces of the image are revealed one at a time. Students use evidence and subject-specific vocabulary to support their inferences. Finally, students reflect on their overarching essential question to further their understanding of the primary source and place the source in a larger context. Further investigations may include related historical sources, readings, interviews, and/or field trips that ask students to test their inferences and understanding with new sources or problems.
Use pieces of evidence to make inferences and may be challenged to change their thinking based on new evidence.
Build questioning skills and have time to listen and observe student use of vocabulary, use of knowledge and prior experiences as they use creative and critical thinking skills.
Click on any of the documents below to view them in a new tab. Feel free to download or print them so you could add them to your lesson plans.
- Overview
- Prompt Student Thinking Deep Dive
- Gather Responses Deep Dive
- Make Meaning Deep Dive
- Zoom-In Slides Template
- Examples of using Zoom-In to lead inquiry about:
Practice the Deeper Learning Thinking Routine to make meaning with students through Teaching with Grace – Project Freedom: Sojourner Truth and make a Crop It activity for your students to play. Crop It is the opposite of Zoom In – Crop It asks students to deconstruct an image, while Zoom In invites students to build understanding. However, both routines use images and questions to gain deeper learning.
Image Citations
Leffler, W. K., photographer. (1974) Gas ration stamps being printed, Bureau of Engraving & Printing / WKL . , 1974. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2003673995/.
Zoom-In was developed through the grant, Teaching Language and Literacy as an Act of Resistance, funded through Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources program. Zoom-In was first developed through the Northern Virginia Partnership. Content created and featured in partnership with the TPS program does not indicate an endorsement by the Library of Congress.