Interpreting
Visual literacy is the ability to construct meaning from images of everything that we see. It’s not a skill; it is a language, a form of communication. It uses skills as a toolbox. To be visually literate, students must know the alphabet, the vocabulary and the grammar of seeing. Ultimately it is a form of critical thinking that enhances intellectual capacity. (Adapted from Toledo Museum of Art, 2013) The following are some ideas and resources to help guide students as they learn how to look, see, describe, analyze, and interpret.
Understanding
Politics through Cartoons
Political and editorial cartoons are designed to make a point about a political or social issue. They can be found in daily newspapers, newsmagazines and on political Web sites. Although they can be highly amusing their purpose is to persuade and alter opinion. Good ones make you think about current and past events by using symbolism, exaggeration, labeling, analogy, and irony. By using them in the classroom students can learn to understand persuasive techniques that are used not only in cartoons but also in other media, such as political ads and TV news programs.
It’s No Laughing Matter – Political Cartoon Analysis resource for teachers provided by the Library of Congress.
Dr. Seuss Goes to War: The World War II Editorial Cartoons of Theodor Seuss Geisel is a 1999 book written by Richard H. Minear, containing Dr. Seuss's political cartoons created during World War II. Geisel’s cartoons are politically charged and poised to spark discussion. You can see some samples at Brain Pickings.
Harp Week - Cartoon of the Day
Interpreting Political Cartoons in the History Classroom - A lesson that introduces a framework for understanding and interpreting political cartoons.
Political Cartoon Analysis tool – A set of inquiry questions to help students analyze editorial cartoons.
Cartoon analysis Worksheet – A worksheet that can help guide students as they analyze cartoons.
Reading With Pictures is a nonprofit organization that advocated the use of comics and graphic novels in the classroom with the goal of promoting literacy and enhancing student learning. They offer a variety of teacher resources for use in classrooms K-12.
More Resources for Cartoon Indexes (Baker, 2012)
Daryl Cagle’s Professional Cartoonists Index one and two.
The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists
GoComics
Daryl Cagle’s Political Cartoons
Cartoon Stock
Political and editorial cartoons are designed to make a point about a political or social issue. They can be found in daily newspapers, newsmagazines and on political Web sites. Although they can be highly amusing their purpose is to persuade and alter opinion. Good ones make you think about current and past events by using symbolism, exaggeration, labeling, analogy, and irony. By using them in the classroom students can learn to understand persuasive techniques that are used not only in cartoons but also in other media, such as political ads and TV news programs.
It’s No Laughing Matter – Political Cartoon Analysis resource for teachers provided by the Library of Congress.
Dr. Seuss Goes to War: The World War II Editorial Cartoons of Theodor Seuss Geisel is a 1999 book written by Richard H. Minear, containing Dr. Seuss's political cartoons created during World War II. Geisel’s cartoons are politically charged and poised to spark discussion. You can see some samples at Brain Pickings.
Harp Week - Cartoon of the Day
Interpreting Political Cartoons in the History Classroom - A lesson that introduces a framework for understanding and interpreting political cartoons.
Political Cartoon Analysis tool – A set of inquiry questions to help students analyze editorial cartoons.
Cartoon analysis Worksheet – A worksheet that can help guide students as they analyze cartoons.
Reading With Pictures is a nonprofit organization that advocated the use of comics and graphic novels in the classroom with the goal of promoting literacy and enhancing student learning. They offer a variety of teacher resources for use in classrooms K-12.
More Resources for Cartoon Indexes (Baker, 2012)
Daryl Cagle’s Professional Cartoonists Index one and two.
The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists
GoComics
Daryl Cagle’s Political Cartoons
Cartoon Stock
Teaching History Using Primary Source Visual Arts Documents.
Many primary source documents include visual items such as photographs and pictures, artwork, cartoons, and newsreel items which depict key events, people, and places. Using primary source documents in class can help students analyze and interpret the significance of the items and how each fits into the context of the event in history. Using these additional visual sources gives students a new and richer insight into historical events that may not be apparent in text only sources.
In these lesson students use historical images to discuss and make inferences about historical events based on what they observe in the images and how they interpret them.
A Picture is Worth… are activities on the Canada in the Making site. In them students examine photographs and documentary art from different periods and places in Canada’s past to describe life on the frontier. Student work sheet, suggested assessment criteria, and links to useful images.
Using Art to Understand History. “Learning to Look” strategies from the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Teaching the French Revolution through Art is a lesson by Michael Streich and is an example of how to use art to teach history.
Zoom-in Inquiry – A video demonstration of the strategy in a history class (Aug 1, 2011) History teacher Joe Jelen, of Northwood High School, MD, introduces "zoom-in inquiry," a technique for approaching visual primary sources.
Many primary source documents include visual items such as photographs and pictures, artwork, cartoons, and newsreel items which depict key events, people, and places. Using primary source documents in class can help students analyze and interpret the significance of the items and how each fits into the context of the event in history. Using these additional visual sources gives students a new and richer insight into historical events that may not be apparent in text only sources.
In these lesson students use historical images to discuss and make inferences about historical events based on what they observe in the images and how they interpret them.
A Picture is Worth… are activities on the Canada in the Making site. In them students examine photographs and documentary art from different periods and places in Canada’s past to describe life on the frontier. Student work sheet, suggested assessment criteria, and links to useful images.
Using Art to Understand History. “Learning to Look” strategies from the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Teaching the French Revolution through Art is a lesson by Michael Streich and is an example of how to use art to teach history.
Zoom-in Inquiry – A video demonstration of the strategy in a history class (Aug 1, 2011) History teacher Joe Jelen, of Northwood High School, MD, introduces "zoom-in inquiry," a technique for approaching visual primary sources.
Understanding Photographs and Their Power to Communicate
Photographs have tremendous power to communicate yet also have the power to mislead. Students need to be skilled in viewing these images with a critical eye and interpreting the messages within.
Lesson ideas:
- Have students learn to pay attention to the composition elements of the photograph including framing, angle, lighting, and focus.
- Have students critically examine the content of the photograph and the intent of the photographer by ask the five “W” questions: Who or what do they see, where was the photograph taken, when was it taken, and why was it taken (Thibault & Walbert, n.d.).
Photographs have tremendous power to communicate yet also have the power to mislead. Students need to be skilled in viewing these images with a critical eye and interpreting the messages within.
Lesson ideas:
- Have students learn to pay attention to the composition elements of the photograph including framing, angle, lighting, and focus.
- Have students critically examine the content of the photograph and the intent of the photographer by ask the five “W” questions: Who or what do they see, where was the photograph taken, when was it taken, and why was it taken (Thibault & Walbert, n.d.).
Resources
Many art galleries and libraries have digitized their vast collections of primary source material and made it available online. For example the Library of Congress site offers lesson plans and ready-to-use materials to help teachers and students effectively access and use their extensive digital collection of primary source material.
Annotated Webography: Links to Primary Sources for Canadian History. This PDF document is a point of access to more than 800 archival resources. The portal provides links to government documents, reports, papers, newspapers, magazines, letters, diaries, photographs and other Canadian related primary documents.
The Canada in the Making site provides educators with a variety of activities and lessons complete with student work sheet, suggested assessment criteria, and links to useful resources, including primary source documents. The lessons are even linked to provincial curriculum expectations, outcomes and objectives.
Picturing America – A databases collection of paintings, sculptures, architecture, crafts, and photographs to be used with a Teacher Resource Book and program web site to help students understand America’s past.
Library of Congress - Contains classroom materials and professional development to help teachers effectively use primary sources in their teaching.
How to Use Original Documents – Michael Straich provides an example of how to use primary source material in historical research in order to better understand social and cultural attitudes.
Additional Resources for Photos (Baker, 2012)
Photo Analysis Worksheet
Daily News Photos
The National Archives
LIFE Magazine Archives
EduPic Graphical Resource
Smithsonian Photography Initiative
Picturing Modern America 1880–1920
Read Write Web
Pictures of the Year International
Pulitzer Prize Winning Photographs
Many art galleries and libraries have digitized their vast collections of primary source material and made it available online. For example the Library of Congress site offers lesson plans and ready-to-use materials to help teachers and students effectively access and use their extensive digital collection of primary source material.
Annotated Webography: Links to Primary Sources for Canadian History. This PDF document is a point of access to more than 800 archival resources. The portal provides links to government documents, reports, papers, newspapers, magazines, letters, diaries, photographs and other Canadian related primary documents.
The Canada in the Making site provides educators with a variety of activities and lessons complete with student work sheet, suggested assessment criteria, and links to useful resources, including primary source documents. The lessons are even linked to provincial curriculum expectations, outcomes and objectives.
Picturing America – A databases collection of paintings, sculptures, architecture, crafts, and photographs to be used with a Teacher Resource Book and program web site to help students understand America’s past.
Library of Congress - Contains classroom materials and professional development to help teachers effectively use primary sources in their teaching.
How to Use Original Documents – Michael Straich provides an example of how to use primary source material in historical research in order to better understand social and cultural attitudes.
Additional Resources for Photos (Baker, 2012)
Photo Analysis Worksheet
Daily News Photos
The National Archives
LIFE Magazine Archives
EduPic Graphical Resource
Smithsonian Photography Initiative
Picturing Modern America 1880–1920
Read Write Web
Pictures of the Year International
Pulitzer Prize Winning Photographs