Visual Literacy Activity 3:

How can I purposefully use visual literacy in the classroom?

1. Pick a Photo to "Read" (Choose one of the three activities for your group to complete)

Activity A

Use one of the Harvey pictures on the image table or explore the photos at American Memory . Pick one associated with your grade level and content area. Copy and paste the photo into Microsoft Word. (right click on the picture, click save as, and save it into my documents)

How could you help your students "read" the picture? Create some questions to help your students use visual information in the photo. Share your photo with a classmate. Ask them for additional ideas.

Activity B

Seach American Memory for a topic that is in your current curriculum--such as poverty, weather, women in history, African Americans, a particular time period, plot or setting from a book, or the Civil War. You could even search for pictures that you think reflect a particular math or science concept.

Paste the picture into Microsoft Word and describe why they think the photo reflects their idea about the topic.

Activity C

Take one of the Harvey photographs.

Divide the photo into four quadrants.

Write what you see in each quadrant. Be specific and very detailed.

 

2. Pick a Photo to "Interpret" (Choose the activity that you are most interested in exploring. Find a partner or a different group that is interested in the same topic.

Activity D

Search American Memory for one of the following that could relate to your curriculum: historical ads, posters, cartoons or maps.

Create an activity that asks students to retell, identify, describe, explain, or critique the item you chose.

Activity E

Locate a digital photo of an object by using Google image seach.

Compare line drawings of objects (Discovery Clipart) to photographs that you took. For example, clip art drawings versus photos of leaves or books. How are they similar and how do they differ? When might you want to use each in the classroom?

Activity F

Take the set of 4 digital photographs that have been printed out. These pictures were taken in this building.

Use the clues within the photographs to determine exactly where these photos were taken.

Use the digital camera to take your own pictures and recreate these photos.

Activities adapted from Visual Literacy Using Web-based Photo Resources created by Annette Lamb.