• Write the phrase “A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words” on the board before the students enter
• Direct students’ attention to the phrase and ask them to share what they think it means.
  • Explain: The adage “A picture is worth a thousand words” refers to the notion that a complex idea can be conveyed with just a single still image. It also aptly characterizes one of the main goals of visualization, namely making it possible to absorb large amounts of data quickly
  • Discuss: How can this definition apply to the art of photography?
• Show students photographs 1-4 (see “Document Studies” below). Ask the students to verbalize what each image shows. Record their answers on the board
• Discuss: Is there a story or message being related by each picture? Ask students if they would describe any of the pictures as “Jewish,” and why or why not.
• Discuss: Can a picture be Jewish? Who took these pictures, why and for what purpose? Can a picture be “Jewish” if it wasn’t taken by a Jewish photographer?
• Discuss: Which picture is most artistically compelling and why?
• Explain: Conclude that while a picture in and of itself is not “Jewish,” photography can be used to express Jewish ideas and points of view, reflect values, and influence emotions. Photographers of such photos can be both Jewish and non-Jewish (20-25 minutes)
• Explain: Photojournalism: journalism in which written copy is subordinate to pictorial, usually photographic, presentation of news stories or in which a high proportion of pictorial presentation is used
• Discuss: Which of the four photos we have seen may constitute photojournalism?
• Instruct group 1 to read paragraphs 1–6, group 2 to read paragraphs 7–12, and group 3 to read paragraphs 13–18. Tell each group to find five facts about Ruth Gruber to share with the larger group
• Present students with definition of the word photojournalism
• Divide students into 3 groups and pass out copies of Ruth Gruber’s biography.

When all of the groups are done reading, starting with group 1, have each group share their five facts. Have one student record the 15 facts to save for the next class