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Explore the importance of visual literacy in understanding history and learn how to analyze and interpret images in the history classroom.
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“Building Visual Literacy” Teaching American History in Miami-Dade County September 22, 2012 Fran Macko, Ph.D. fmacko@aihe.info
How do we define reading? • The “traditional” definition includes: • The process of recognizing vocabulary and decoding printed text. • The process of making meaning from text with an emphasis on vocabulary, phonics, fluency and comprehension. • More recently, reading is defined in a broader sense to include visual elements.
What is visual literacy? • What is visual literacy? • How can we expand the definition of reading to include images? • Turn and talk with a colleague.
Visual literacy is the ability to interpret information presented in the form of an image. • Visual literacy is based on the idea that pictures, like text can be read and interpreted. • Students view an image and construct an interpretation.
Why is visual literacy an important skill for understanding history? • What is the role of visual literacy in the history classroom? • Why is visual literacy a critical skill for today’s students? • How do you use images in your history classroom?
Why is visual literacy an important skill for understanding history? • Today’s students interact more often with images than with text increasing the need to develop visual literacy as a critical thinking and life skill. • Visual literacy activities provide access to content for students who have difficulty reading text. • Primary source documents in history are often visual; paintings, photographs, cartoons and other images figure prominently in the resources that are available for students. • State and local assessments frequently ask students to interpret images.
What are the contexts for “reading” a painting? • A painting may be placed within four historical contexts: • The personal history of the artist • The history of the painting’s style • The history of the time represented in the painting • The history of the time in which it was created
The Personal History of the Artist • A painting may be placed in the context of the personal history of the artist. • Landscapes and genre scenes can reflect the area where the artist lives or lived. • Portraits can reflect important people in the artist’s life. • Self-portraits can offer insight into the artist.
The History of a Style • Paintings placed in the broader context of a style provide insight into the history of that style and its particular nuances or features. • Impressionism • Social Realism • Hudson River School • Portrait Painting
The History of the Time Represented in the Painting • Artists who record the major events of their own life and times create unique glimpses into the period in which they painted. • The American Revolution • The Civil War • The Depression
The History of the Time in Which it was Created • The artist creates a representation of a scene or famous event from a previous time period. • These paintings often reveal more about the time in which they were painted than the time they represent. • Washington Crossing the Delaware painted in 1851 by Emile Leutze
Images as Primary Sources • How can images be considered primary sources in the history classroom?
Images as Primary Sources • Images can be used to document life and history. • Images and their accompanying dates are primary sources: • If an image was created at the time of event, what can be learned about the subject and the time (historical context)? • How is a portrait as reflective of its subject as a letter or journal? • If a portrait was done after the death of the subject, what can be learned about the times in which the portrait was painted? • How is a portrait as reflective of an individual as an historian’s or novelist’s commentary?
Taking a Closer Look • Form groups of 2-3. • I will assign each group one of the two images. • Discuss the image and complete questions 1 – 3 on the image analysis sheet.
Read the background information on the image. Optional: Read a document or text that reflects the event depicted. Review your responses to questions 1 – 3.
Now, complete questions 4 – 9. • Who was the artist? For whom was the artist working? Do you think that the artist has a message beyond simply documenting the moment? If so, what might the message have been? • Write a question that is still left unanswered about the image. • What would be a good title for the image? • Write a question that you would like to ask the people in the image. • Write a question that you would like to ask
Visual Literacy and Accountable Talk • Once the historic context for an image has been set and students analyze each of the images, they can compare the images using a set of guided questions. • In your groups, develop 2 guided questions that would support students in comparing the two images.
Digging Deeper: Comparing Two Images • Other guided questions include: • Describe the scene and the figures in each image. • What are the similarities and differences? • Compare the setting of each image. • How does the setting contribute to the meaning of the image? • Describe the mood of each work. • How did the artist achieve that mood? • Each painting is about a specific historical event. • How does the artist want the viewer to feel about the main subject? • Find something in the image that supports your opinion.
Artists plan their work and give careful thought to the arrangement of people and objects. • How has each artist placed his figures to enhance the “story” of the image? • What is similar and/or different about each composition? • How does the artist use color or in both images? • How does each image help you understand the significance of the event in American History? • What does your analysis and comparison of the images add to your understanding of American history?
How do these questions compare to your group’s? • In your groups, discuss the assigned guiding questions for your set of images.
Putting it All Together • Analysis of images can be springboards for other content area literacy activities. • Making Artwork Come Alive • Provide the historical context of the image • Project the image and have students discuss the artist’s message and how the artwork represents this message • Reproduce the image with dialogue boxes • Choose one character and model an historically accurate voice. • Have students work in groups to create dialogue for the remaining characters in the image
Giving the Image a Voice: • Have students choose one character and write a speech, poem or journal entry in that person’s voice. • Have students choose one character and interview him or her. • Have students build on the dialogue boxes and create an historically accurate conversation between or among the characters. • Have a group of students create a tableaux where they recreate the image and step into the shoes of the characters.
Creating a New Perspective: • Project several images of an historical person from the time period. • Have students work in groups to generate a list of characteristics of that person based on the images. • Read and analyze a famous speech by the person. • Have students compare their thoughts on the individual as portrayed in the image and his or her words in the document. • Evaluate whether or not the person’s words coincided with the artist’s portrayal.
Final Thoughts • Visual literacy supports students in making meaning of historical events and people. • It supports students who struggle to read and understand text. • It engages students in the study of history as students are increasingly familiar with visual images. • It supports critical thinking skills. • It provides an entry point into the study of history.
