Questioning & Investigating Strategies
The ability to question and examine is not limited to visual literacy; these skills appear across many curricular areas. Using visual literacy, however, puts more students on an “even playing field” as they can all explore an image, regardless of literacy levels. As students develop the ability to question and investigate through visual literacy development, these skills will connect to other areas of their learning.
Lesson Ideas for Questioning and Investigating
Unit “Sparks”
Present students with an image at the beginning of a unit and ask them to create a series of questions or predictions about the image in order to spark their interest and develop questioning and investigation tools. Then, give students the name of the image, or object presented in the image, and ask them to do some quick research to learn more about it. Have them record their questions, answers, and the thought processes they followed as they explored the images.
Infographics
When students are presented with infographics, they should learn to question their validity. We see infographics all over the internet, but how many of them are accurate? Just like written statistics and facts, students should question these and learn to check sources as they explore.
Activities could include:
1) Ask students to check the sources of infographics and determine if the information is valid.
2) Ask students to develop an opinion based on an infographic and record their initial thoughts. Then, ask them to seek out information which contradicts, or argues an opposite viewpoint, of the claims made by the infographic. Have them record or share their findings. Also ask them to consider how their perspective changed through this activity and in which instances their views were solidified by their findings.
3) Analyze charts and graphs to see if the scales used accurately represent the data.
Lesson ideas for interpreting misleading graphs
How Can I Teach Students to Ask Good Questions?
As students explore visual literacy and learn to ask questions about what they see, teachers can help to guide students to ask good questions. This skill can translate to questioning in a wide variety of subject areas and to written literacy, as well. Below are two articles which might help you as you seek to promote questioning in your classroom.
Article: Teaching Students to Ask Their Own Questions
Article: Helping Students to Ask the Right Questions
Embracing a Culture of Questioning and Investigation
When I began using Genius Hour in my classroom, I heard about teachers who had created a “Wonderwall” (no, not this Wonderwall) in their classrooms. I decided to dedicate a board in my classroom to questions from students. Sometimes, they add questions during a guided questioning activity. Other times, they add questions on their own as they arise. Embedding questioning into my practice has allowed my students and I to embrace uncertainty in learning. We ask questions for which there may be no concrete answer. As students begin to question things, further questions develop. Sometimes, these become the basis of projects or independent research. The promotion of questioning has resulted in more curiosity and investigation in my classroom. As students explore visual literacy, a visual display of their questions in the classroom might prompt further investigation.
Reading Comprehension
As students read picture books or graphic novels, they can ask questions about the images they see and answer their questions when they read and comprehend the text. After reading, students can use pictures to check for understanding.
For more on this, please visit: Visual Literacy: Using Images to Increase Comprehension
Lesson Ideas for Questioning and Investigating
Unit “Sparks”
Present students with an image at the beginning of a unit and ask them to create a series of questions or predictions about the image in order to spark their interest and develop questioning and investigation tools. Then, give students the name of the image, or object presented in the image, and ask them to do some quick research to learn more about it. Have them record their questions, answers, and the thought processes they followed as they explored the images.
Infographics
When students are presented with infographics, they should learn to question their validity. We see infographics all over the internet, but how many of them are accurate? Just like written statistics and facts, students should question these and learn to check sources as they explore.
Activities could include:
1) Ask students to check the sources of infographics and determine if the information is valid.
2) Ask students to develop an opinion based on an infographic and record their initial thoughts. Then, ask them to seek out information which contradicts, or argues an opposite viewpoint, of the claims made by the infographic. Have them record or share their findings. Also ask them to consider how their perspective changed through this activity and in which instances their views were solidified by their findings.
3) Analyze charts and graphs to see if the scales used accurately represent the data.
Lesson ideas for interpreting misleading graphs
How Can I Teach Students to Ask Good Questions?
As students explore visual literacy and learn to ask questions about what they see, teachers can help to guide students to ask good questions. This skill can translate to questioning in a wide variety of subject areas and to written literacy, as well. Below are two articles which might help you as you seek to promote questioning in your classroom.
Article: Teaching Students to Ask Their Own Questions
Article: Helping Students to Ask the Right Questions
Embracing a Culture of Questioning and Investigation
When I began using Genius Hour in my classroom, I heard about teachers who had created a “Wonderwall” (no, not this Wonderwall) in their classrooms. I decided to dedicate a board in my classroom to questions from students. Sometimes, they add questions during a guided questioning activity. Other times, they add questions on their own as they arise. Embedding questioning into my practice has allowed my students and I to embrace uncertainty in learning. We ask questions for which there may be no concrete answer. As students begin to question things, further questions develop. Sometimes, these become the basis of projects or independent research. The promotion of questioning has resulted in more curiosity and investigation in my classroom. As students explore visual literacy, a visual display of their questions in the classroom might prompt further investigation.
Reading Comprehension
As students read picture books or graphic novels, they can ask questions about the images they see and answer their questions when they read and comprehend the text. After reading, students can use pictures to check for understanding.
For more on this, please visit: Visual Literacy: Using Images to Increase Comprehension
Photoshop Debate
Ask students if they think photographs of celebrities should be digitally altered. Have them take sides and debate the issue. Let them go online and conduct their own research. Do celebrities have rights when they pose for photos for the cover of magazines? Should retouched photos be labelled or identified?
Before Photoshop: 7 Photo Edits that Literally Made History
Ask students if they think photographs of celebrities should be digitally altered. Have them take sides and debate the issue. Let them go online and conduct their own research. Do celebrities have rights when they pose for photos for the cover of magazines? Should retouched photos be labelled or identified?
Before Photoshop: 7 Photo Edits that Literally Made History