See, Think, Wonder: Harvard's Project Zero in Action

It's impossible to miss the bulletin board outside of Amy Parker's 6-8 Language Arts classroom that features a photo of a shark that has smashed into the roof of a building and the words "WHAT'S UP WITH THAT SHARK?". 

The use of this photo drove a student writing assignment inspired by Project Zero's "See, Think, Wonder" from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. This activity has students make  observations about an object—a piece of artwork, an image, artifact, or topic—and follow up with an essay explaining what they think might be going on. This encourages students to make careful observations and thoughtful interpretations and helps stimulate curiosity, setting the stage for inquiry.

The exercise helped Amy's students produce awesome work that exemplified some of the best samples of their writing because the image engaged and inspired them to draw deeply from their imaginations.