Instructor's Notes

To assign the questions that follow this reading, click “Browse More Resources for this Unit,” or go to the Resources panel.

Learning from Other Writers

National Geographic

Photo Essay
Hurricane Katrina Pictures: Then & Now, Ruin & Rebirth

National Geographic compiled a series of images showing how New Orleans has recovered since the immediate impact of Hurricane Katrina, which hit the area in 2005. Click through the slideshow to view all of the pictures and read the accompanying text, and then answer the questions that follow.

Right

Mario Tama/Getty Images


A New Hope

On August 20 children play in a new development in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward built by the Make it Right Foundation, which is constructing houses for families who lost their homes during Hurricane Katrina.

The low-lying Lower Ninth Ward took the brunt of the storm’s devastation five years ago but later attracted an army of volunteers eager to help rebuild (pictured, Amish student volunteers tour the area on February 25, 2006).

Ng Staff/National Geographic Stock

Source: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/08/photogalleries/100826-hurricane-katrina-pictures-fifth-anniversary-nation-before-after/

Questions to Start You Thinking

Meaning

  1. What was the occasion for the publication of this photo essay?
  2. Based on the images and text in “Hurricane Katrina Hits Home,” what was the extent of the impact of the storm on communities like Biloxi in Mississippi?
  3. Based on the text and images in “Come Hell or High Water,” how has New Orleans recovered since the hurricane?

    Writing Strategies

  4. How is this photo essay organized? In what ways do you find the organization effective? Would you arrange anything differently? If so, how?
  5. How do the text explanations enhance your understanding of the photos? Would your understanding have been different if the text had been omitted? Why or why not?
  6. Which pairings offer the most compelling comparison and contrast? Which offer the least compelling comparison and contrast? What makes some pairs strong and the others weak?
  7. Compare and contrast the two photos in “A New Hope.” What is the purpose of this pairing?