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Reading a Photograph
To introduce this history kit as a unit project, display all the images for the students. Have students make note of questions these images provoke. They will be the basis for future discussions. Before relating the background information supplied with an image, ask your students to examine the photographs and describe what they see. Encourage them to extract as much detail as possible.
1. Give the photograph a name which will help others identify it. What
is happening in the picture?
2. What year do you think the photograph was taken? List evidence from the photograph which supports your hypothesis.
3. Explain how this photograph will add to our understanding of the historical time period.
4. What objects in the picture can students identify? Where was it taken? List every item found in the photograph. You should go into detail describing the number of people, their clothing, the number of different buildings, the type of cars, plants, etc. Also include information about the environment, such as the time of day, the climate, the season, and the appearance of the surroundings.
5. Why did the photographer take this picture? What new questions does this photograph raise? Write your questions and the sources you might use to answer them.
6. Locate photographs that document the history of your community. Local newspapers, libraries, or museums are good places to start your research. Schools often keep copies of old yearbooks in their archives.
7. Have students select one of the African-American photographers from the era 1900-1940 and write a report on him/her.
Note: When using photographs as documentary evidence it is important
to remember that photographs can be staged or altered. Also, the photographer
may be shooting scenes to represent a particular viewpoint. When using
photographs for research, don't draw conclusions from just one print.
Further sources must be utilized, such as historical records, other photos,
books, or oral history.