Monday, November 19, 2007

Objectives:
After this class, students will be able to:
1. analyze and interpret photos from the Library of Congress.
2. understand and apply the definition of visual literacy.
3. draw conclusions and make inferences.

Agenda:
1. Warm-Up: Do you prefer to look at photographs or paintings? Why?

2. Today's Vocabulary: Visual Literacy: the skill of viewing, analyzing, interpreting, and making meaning of an image, like a photograph or painting

3. Today we will work to develop our visual literacy skills. Students will work in pairs and analyze photos from the Library of Congress public domain collection. This collection can be found at http://flickr.com/photos/pingnews/sets/72157594337708238/.

Each pair will have a photograph to review and analyze. They will complete the photograph analysis worksheets available from http://uw.kqed.org/edresources/plans/Reading%20Photos_jds.pdf?trackurl=true. Questions from this worksheet include:

Level I. Stating the Facts
a. Describe the colors, lines, shapes, textures and spaces you see in the image.
b. What do you notice first in this picture? Where is your eye led?
c. How many faces do you see?
d. What are the people wearing? How are they posed?
e. Where are their hands resting?
f. Are you looking up or down at the people in the image?
g. When was this picture made?
Level II. Beginning to Analyze and Interpret
In your opinion:
a. What are the people in the photograph looking at?
b. What are the expressions on their faces?
c. What are they thinking?
d. At what time of day was the photograph taken?
e. Where was the photograph taken?
f. What are the subjects of the photograph doing?
g. What does the image mean? Support your interpretation with factual evidence presented in the image.
Level III. Connecting the Image to Historical Context
a. Who are the people in the photograph?
b. What message do you think the photographer is trying to convey?
c. What is the situation of the people in the photograph? Point out some visual elements in the photograph that tell you about their situation.
d. Make a connection between meaning in the photograph and the historical events occurring during the time it was created.
e. Might a photograph of this nature be made today? Why or why not?
f. What alternative title would you give this photograph?

Note: Students who are absent today must go to the LOC website and analyze one photo of their choosing. They must submit their answers by email to ms.kingsbury@verizon.net to receive full credit.

Today's photograph analysis is worth 50 points. If there is time, students will share their photos and answers with the rest of the class.

HOMEWORK: There is no homework for this class.