“Building Visual Literacy”

Teaching American History in Miami-Dade CountySeptember 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

Using Images to Teach History

• How can images be used as 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?

• Images can be used to introduce or enhance a unit of study, an event or an individual.

• They can also support students in gaining insight into “big ideas” or essential questions.

Middle School:Reaction to British Colonial Rule

High School:Impact of the Cold War on Life in the

US

Taking a Closer Look

• Form groups of 2-3 based on the grade span you teach.

• 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 the

artist.

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 discussion questions.

• In your groups, develop 2 guided questions that would support students in comparing the two images.

Digging Deeper: Comparing Two Images

Possible guided discussion 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.