TwoSues

Reading Pictures Exploring Visual Literacy

Hertfordshire Schools Library Service Thursday 13th October 2011

Inspiring and practical training for school libraries

Visual Literacy

Human beings first attempts at passing information on to future generations took the form of paintings.

The oldest known cave painting is that of the Chauvet Cave, dating to around 30,000 BC

From Cave Paintings

To early script in the form ofhieroglyphics

The Ancient Egyptians along with many others told stories in pictures

Through hand written Illuminated manuscripts

To Gutenberg and the printing press

Trace the development from pictures to words and pictures to

today when....

“All of us are watchers - of television, of time clocks, of traffic on the freeway - but few of us are observers. Everyone is looking, not many are seeing." - Peter M. Leschak

Video

Visual messages are all around us

In the form of ...

Books

Magazines

Websites

Videos/Computer Games

Diagrams

earth

moon orbit`searth

last (third)quarter

gibbous moon

full moon

gibbous moon

first quarter

crescent

new moon

crescent

waning Moon

waxing Moon

SUN

Documentaries

Printed Or electronic

Fiction Or Non-Fiction

Books with things to do

Three dimensional pop up books

Three dimensional objects

itius.net

Paintings

Maps

Today the ratio of visual image to text is increasing...

We no longer expect pupils to be inspired by this.......

Book pages are now presented like web pages

The same with Newspapers

Light reading in 1908

The world pupils inhabit has become increasingly visual

‘Young people learn more than half of what they know from visual information, but few schools have an explicit curriculum to show students how to think critically about visual data.’

Mary Alice White, researcher at Columbia Teachers’ College

So what do we mean by Visual Literacy ?

glendabaker.net

Visual Literacy

Visual literacy is the ability to interpret, negotiate, and make meaning from information presented in the form of an image. Visual literacy is based on the idea that pictures can be “read” and that meaning can be communicated through a process of reading.John Debes, co-founder of the International Visual Literacy Association, 1969 (Wikipedia 2010)

• Words are used to recall things we have seen and experienced

• Different parts of the brain are used when we are exposed to words and pictures

• Combination of visuals and text increases comprehension

Draw a cat

Civet cat

Children are increasingly dependent on visual images as a way of learning

Many children find it easier to visualise images rather than read words

TV, film, computer games are a bigger part of their lives than the written word

As a result are more visually literate

Who benefits from including visual images ?

• Special needs• English as a second

language• Visual learners• Reluctant readers

and learners• Boys• In fact, most people!

So visual literacy has become more important

• Visual images are becoming a predominate form of communication

• Pupils need to be able to make critical judgements when looking at and using images

• There are no guide lines to help interpret images the meaning results from the context

“Our students must learn to process both words and pictures. To be visually literate they must learn to “read” (consume and interpret) images and write (produce and use) visually rich communications” Frey Nancy and Douglas Fisher

It is important that pupils learn to question images in the same way they question written

text.

Seeing cannot always be believing

Developing critical thinking skills through images

• Pupils are able to interpret images on a literal level• The higher order thinking skills of analyzing,

synthesizing, and interpreting the image does not come naturally

• To do this the viewer must be helped to develop the necessary abstract thinking skills

Goldstone 1989

Thinking Skills in the National Curriculum

• Information processing• Reasoning skills• Enquiry skills• Creative thinking skills• Evaluation skills

Department for Children, Schools & Families 2009

• What happened ?• Who were the people involved ?• When did it happen ?• Where did it happen ?• Why did it happen ?• How did it happen?Answers bring up more questions i.e. What were the motives ? What

influenced those involved? What were the consequences of their decisions?

Objective Questions – dates, places, namesSubjective Questions- opinion – motives, influences

Using the 5 Ws (&H) at all levels

Using Pictures to Encourage Questioning Skills

In groups – have a look at the picture and ask as many questions as you can about itWhat do you know ? What do you want to find out?

Now look at all your questions:1. Which 3 questions are most interesting to

you ?2. If you were a newspaper reporter, which 3

questions do you think are the most important ? Why ?

3. How would you find out the answers to your questions?

Images can be manipulative

ScaleFrameDimensionDepthBackground/ForegroundColour

LightJuxtaposition of imagesPerspectiveLocationSize of items

The way the image is presented affects themessage the creator wishes to impart

Questions that need to be asked when studying images

• What message are the images trying to convey?

• Do you agree with the way the message is being depicted?

• Where has the information come from?• What has been left out?• What is the relationship between the image

and the text?• What effect does the size of the images have?

Interpreting the image

Caption 1:On a hot summer day in 1947, these spectators watch the final moments of a tense baseball game. Some fans are yelling in disapproval at the umpire because they don’t like the decision.

Interpreting the image

Caption 2:Entertainer Paul Robeson sings to labourers working at the racially integrated Moore Shipyards in Oakland, California on 21st September 1942.

Interpreting the image

Caption 3:A mournful crowd gathers to watch the funeral procession of Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior, drive past.

Interpreting the imageDid it seem that all the captions could fit the image or did some make more sense than others ?

Did hearing three captions about the same image make it more confusing to figure out what was really happening ? Why or why not ?

Words can sway how we think about the picture. Captions help us “pin down” meaning. Captions and our own expectations influence what we see or read into an image.

The right caption was: Entertainer Paul Robeson singing to labourers

How can visual images help literacy

• Stimulates creativity and inspires children to write their own stories

• Develops empathy • Encourages children to explore texts further by

making information or stories more accessible• Develops social and cultural awareness• Develops thinking and questioning skills

Inspire creativity

Close up images can inspire poetryhaikus are a “close-up”

Copper Coin

Ball point nib

Knife blade

Use images to develop pupils’ social and cultural knowledge

Cartoons canhighlight topical subjects for discussion

Gerald Scarfe depicts Prince Charles as a genetically modified weed

Why?

Background knowledge is needed

Bad

Bad news I’m afraid Adam

you’re a monkey!

monkey Would you Adam and Eve it? Adam and Eve it

Cultural knowledge is assumed

Charles Darwin

Chris Riddell

Use images to pass on personal information and develop self

awareness

Based on a Victorian parlour game, each contributor described themselves with

images of their favourite things.

Donald Urquhart

Emma Chichester Clarke

Mary Fedden

Eric Clapton

Add LVS work on this

What are you like ?

• Helps get to know new pupils• Helps pupils to analyse themselves• Less threatening than “write about yourself” –

children can be given the option• Anthony Browne says “everyone can draw!”• Great joint project with Art department• What would you draw ?

Using film

• Children spend a lot of time watching TV and film this is not going to change so we need to tap into this resource

• Sequencing, predicting, recounting, supposition• Music, light, sound and colour create mood• The camera is the eye of the viewer, angles, close

ups, long shots resting on details all in form the viewer and add atmosphere

• What are your reactions ?• What adjectives would you use to

describe the couple driving, the policeman ?

• Work in small groups to write bullet points for what happens next

• Could form the basis of a lesson in which students develop their ideas into a piece of creative writing

“The Motorist” film from BFI with activity:

Write a sentence explaining what you think the film is about – how do your interpretations differ

link

Watson and the Shark by John Singleton Copley

Watson and the Shark by John Singleton Copley

Need the rest of these slides

Graphic novels & comic booksin the curriculum

• All use 'sequential art’ frames with speech bubbles• Cinematic format reflects film and computer games • Have visual ‘permanence’ unlike film, time moves at the

pace of the reader• Manga originated in Japan and subversively reads from right

to left from back to front which appeals to pupils• No longer seen as controversial a growing number are

suitable for children (list of publishers and titles in pack)

Comics, Graphic Novels and

Manga

One of the earlier graphic

novels

Will Eisner coined the phrase ‘graphic novel 'in

1978 to describe his collection of short stories

‘A contact with God’

•

Graphic Artists Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon produced a version of ‘9/11

Commission Report’ as a comic book

Jacobson maintained ‘the

graphic art format helps

people particularly

younger readers, to grasp what

happened’

Marjane Satrapi’s Graphic Novel

‘Persepolis’ gave her the freedom to

tell a wider audience her tale

of revolution in Iran

Words and pictures help to make more difficult texts accessible

‘Self Made Hero’ has produced Manga versions

of Shakespeare’s plays

‘It is a very visual medium. We thought that Manga would work well with Shakespeare because he wrote the stories to be played out on a stage rather than just read aloud. Manga brings that visual element into play’

Emma Hayley Self Made Hero

Classical Stories

Biographies

Classic Crime

‘I was chatting to one of our less able Y10 boys a few days ago, and he starting discussing a ‘Midsummer Nights Dream’ throwing in references to the characters, plot, etc. This surprised me (especially since he's not in a group which 'does‘ Shakespeare) , but turns out he got the info and interest - if not a love for Will from reading Gaiman's 'Sandman' comics.’

Adrian Thompson

Evidence from one school librarian

Outlaw: The Legend of Robin

HoodWritten by Tony

Lee Illustrated by Sam Hart

Now there are Graphic Novels to suit both boys

and girls of all ages

Glister Series by Andi Watson

Increased interest in reading

Increase literacy in all senses

Ability to discuss art and writing

Create interest in a variety of literary

genre and range of topics

Increased understanding of popular culture

Development of language skills and

vocabulary

Understanding meaning in visual

phenomena

Graphic Novelsnow have a valid

place in the Library!

• Invite staff from local comic book shop to give a talk• Have a session with an artist drawing Manga • Compare a graphic version with original work of literature• Organise a book talk around your collection• Get pupils involved in selection of new titles, start a discussion

on censorship• Start a Graphic Novel book group• Pupils produce their own comic book. There are free online

websites - makebeliefscomix.com• Invent your own super hero reflects classical heroes from the

past on - heromachine

How to Exploit Your Collection

Manga deals with almost every theme imaginable, not just sci-fi and fantasy.’

Manga is linked to the Japanese animation style known as ‘Anime’...

drawn animation which will be familiar to pupils from film and TV Excellent introduction to Japanese

culture

Using Picture Books

An illustrated book is one in which the words provide the story which is

only decorated by the illustrations

Either a wordless story told only in pictures or one in which pictures and

words work together

A picture book is one in which pictures play a significant role in the

telling of the story

• Printed word and pictures together are effective when telling stories and delivering information

• Use across the curriculum • Use when introducing a new topic so add to book

boxes • Pictures can be read on lots of different levels so

have something for all ages and abilities

“What is the use of a book” thought Alice “without pictures”

http://www.epbcii.org/

Other languages and cultures

War and Peas

A simple explanation of sustainability

George saves the world by lunchtime

Geography

Scan of George saves the world by lunchtime – children to write down everything they find and what they would do with it

"Learning how to

look is a skill we

don't value highly

enough.

“These are not books to be left behind as we grow older. I would like to encourage the act of looking.”

Picture books are special. They are not like anything else. The best ones leave a tantalising gap between the pictures and the text— a gap that is filled by the reader’s imagination.’

Paintings on the walls tell another part of the story

Jokes or surrealist elements in background always have a relevance to the story

Ordinary objects morph into fantastic ones

Use of cinematic icons such as King Kong and Marilyn Monroe

Paintings on the walls tell another part of the story

• Get paintings from Hertfordshire art collection Escher to complement Anthony Brown

• Use Picture This and also get pictures from Herts if possible

• References to art, culture, and ideas enrich the story and make his books ideal for opening conversations

• Ask the question ‘What is surrealism?’• Talk about the symbolism• There are many different ways to interpret the stories the

pictures often telling a different story from the words thus developing the imagination

• A sophisticated level of humour, characterization and plot mean the books appeal to children and adults

Skills Developed

End of Anthony Browne

Picture This

‘Blake's drawings have taken Rosen's personal text and made it universal, a template for grief and recovery’Guardian

Example of the Power of Words and Pictures

• How do the pictures make you feel?• Cartoonish pictures soften what is a very emotional subject• Sadness is depicted in four drawings where the background

gets greyer and greyer until suddenly it’s raining.• Beneath a drawing of him smiling the statement 'This is me

being sad’• Make comparison between the words and the pictures

How Blake Interprets Rosen’s Sadness

The Heart and the Bottle

The Heart in the Bottle

Picture

Link to app ad –

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wc3fghSJvBM

Alice app

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gew68Qj5kxw&NR=1

An Amusing Slant on Nature

Frank and funny. Takes young children, skipping and whooping, out from under the gooseberry bush.Independent

"This is a picture book for the twenty-first century child: visually and emotionally sophisticated, accessible, and inspired." --ALA Booklist

“Gaiman has one creepy imagination, and his goose bump-inducing tale is given full visual throttle by McKean’s illustrations”Independent

There are sneaking, creeping, crumpling noises coming from

inside the walls’

Lucy’s fears are

ignored by her family

It is atmospheric, sinister, scary

and funny

Use of photography,

painting, drawing and

collage

USING STORIES WITH NO WORDS

Benefit of no words

• Pupils have to look for visual clues to create a meaningful story line

• This requires sophisticated thinking and develops imagination.

• Experience has to be read in the pictures so a need to engage and get involved emotionally

The homely and familiar The new and strange

Shaun Tan The Arrival

• Get pupils to write their interpretation of the story• Use the illustrations to explore narrative structure• Think about what happened before the story begins• For PSHE start a discussion on poverty and wealth• Speech bubble the narrative• Tell the story from the point of view of different

characters• Make a play of the story

Ideas for the Arrival

Opens Discussion On Many Levels

• Inspired by Raymond Briggs ‘Snowman’• Deals with the problem of ‘belonging’• No text so no guidance like a new immigrant with

no language or knowledge of customs• Opens discussion on new realities – a new school,

job, relationship or country• Set out in same format as Graphic Novel

The Lost Thing

• Show video – won Oscar• The Lost Thing trailer

• Discuss what medium has been used - watercolour, pen and ink, collage etc...

• How has the artist created mood with colours and light• How are the images placed on the page• Read the story without showing pictures and get pupils to

draw their ‘mind pictures’• How has illustration changed over the years? • Research an illustrator• Compare books across the age range• More ideas at Book Trust ‘Big Picture’ and ‘House of

Illustration

Ideas for Using Picture Books

• Short listed books form backbone of good collection of picture books and illustrated texts

• Website offers help in analysing picture books• Local and national involvement• In school voting creates interest in illustration• In school competitions – bookmarks, posters• http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/greenaway

Kate Greenaway Award

Using Non-Fiction texts

• Use non fiction picture books with all ages to present new topics

• Printed word and pictures used together can be very effective at delivering information

• Helps pupils grasp the essence of more complex subjects by working from simpler examples

• Make use of factual comic books and manga• Include in book boxes

Maps and Diagrams

Imagine you are a giant looking

down into your bedroom or

kitchen draw a map – you

have to ‘visualise’ to do this

Finding your way round the library

• Examples of non fiction text books

http://www.squidoo.com/teachingwithpicturebooks#module16222962

Non-Fictiontexts

Online resources

Maths uses visual images all the time

And Science

Body and Movement

Anatomy and Health

IDEas slide

• Book boxes for curriculum topics – include graphic novels and picture books

• Publicise visual aspect of your stock • Deliver INSET• Leaflets ?

• End of morning 15 mins short as at 15.8

Afternoon activities

• Watson & the shark followed by group exercise using picture from Herts collection

• The shape Game• Finish with Harris Burdock pictures – groups

read out stories• Plenary

Using works of art

Watson and the Shark by John Singleton Copley

4 slides to go in here from previous presentation

Watson and the Shark by John Singleton Copley

• Ideas on using paintings • Information on the Herts Art collection• Information on Ashmolean Museum and

National Gallery Take One Picture

Using images to stimulate imagination and curiosity

• “Picture This” gives excellent examples of what you can do

• Opportunity to use lots of books in your library which are not often used. Try setting quizzes round any non-fiction books with pictures

• Have a bit of fun!

• Every picture tells a story!• Each group has an illustration• What is your story ? 10 mins

– Characters, feelings, actions ?• Storytelling

Create Your Story

Using visual inspiration to create a story

Resources

• Booktrust• House of Illustration• The Big Picture• Carnegie/Greenaway Shadowing• Anthony Browne• JISC resources – echalk, scran ?

Publishers and Useful Links

• www.scholastic.com/graphix• http://titanbooks.com/home/uk - Titan Books• http://www.selfmadehero.com/ - Self Made Hero • http://www.classicalcomics.com/index.html - graphic novel adaptations of classic literature• http://www.tokyopop.com/ - TokyoPop• http://www.viz.com/ - Viz Media major publisher of manga in English who give age appropriate signs• http://www.koyagi.com/Libguide.html - Resources for librarians• http://www.ugo.com/channels/comics/heromachine2/heromachine2.asp - Hero machine - make your own superheros• http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Drawing - Makebeliefsscomix - Make your own comic• http://www.comicsresearch.org/genres.html - Research on comics and graphic novels• http://graphicnovelreporter.com/ - Graphic Novel Reporter • http://www.comicbookresources.com/ - News about comics and graphic novels • http://www.noflyingnotights.com/• http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/literacy/findresources/graphicnovels/index.asp - creating your own graphic novels• http://www.grovel.org.uk/

Bibliography• Reading is Fundamental, Tips for Looking at Picture Books in the Classroom

http://www.rif.org/parents/tips/tip.mspx?View=61• Shadowing Site – Carnegie/Greenaway Medals, - www.ckg.org.uk, • Youngman, Angela, Inspiring Interest in Literature with Manga - www.teachingexpertise.com• Mary Purdon, Lessons from Anthony Browne• Julia Bartel, Graphic Novels for Kids, Tweens and Teens• Madelyn Travis, Extending Storytelling Boundaries• Librarian’s Guide to Manga http://www.koyagi.com/Libguide.html• Paul Gravett, Manga Sixty Years of Japanese Comics• Scott McCloud (1994) Understanding Comics • Mel Gibson, Graphic Novels Across the Curriculum - http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/literacy/findresources/graphicnovels/section/intro.asp • Google Images• Learning Live – Visual Literacy

http://www.learninglive.co.uk/teachers/primary/literacy/materials/visual_literacy/index.asp • Image of cloud - - www.imdchennai.gov.in/local_wx_fcst.htm• The Big Picture - www.bigpicture.org.uk• Booktrust - www.booktrust.org.uk/Home• House of Illustration – www.houseofillustration.org.uk

Bibliography• The Big Picture ‘Looking at Books’ www.bigpicture.org.uk• Bowkett, Steve ‘ Countdown to Non-Fiction Writing’, Routledge 2010• Buzan, Tony ‘Buzan’s iMindmap’ 2010• Carel Press: Great Library Ideas, 2008• Copley, John Singleton: Watson and the Shark (1777-1778)• Department for Children, Schools & Families, http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/, accessed 26/4/09• Frey Nancy and Douglas Fisher ‘Teaching Visual Literacy’ Corwin Press 2008• Dodo image www.justmauritius.net• Google Images• Hopson, Ingrid, “Transition from Year 6 to Year 7”• House of Illustration – www.houseofillustration.org.uk • Mary Glasgow Magazines – ‘Bonjour’ (French) & ‘Schuss’ (German)• National Gallery of Art (Washington) website - http://www.nga.gov/home.htm• Picture This - http://museumca.org/picturethis/caption.html• Reading is Fundamental – www.rif.org/• Scarfe, Gerald Heros and Villains• Shadowing Site – Carnegie/Greenaway Medals, www.ckg.org.uk, accessed May 2010• Youngman,Angela “Inspiring interest in literature with Manga” www.teachingexpertise.com• Wormworks - Helen Cooper’s speeches and articles www.wormworks.com