If
your students struggle with literary analysis or moving beyond a superficial
reading, you can move their thinking to the next level with Photo Analysis.
When students encounter literature (especially the classics!), they
sometimes believe like the threshold of entry is too high–like they need a
college degree to “get it.” But when it’s a photograph? A song? A painting? An unconventional road to analysis convinces them you really will accept more than one
right answer.
Once
you’ve convinced them of that, it’s all about support.
You
can integrate Photo Analysis into any unit. It validates visual learners and
develops your students’ media literacy. Students can begin with historical
perspectives and research before translating their skills to analyzing
advertisements. This makes it a versatile type of analysis!
And
it’s fun.
That’s
right. If you’re looking for a last unit before holiday break, Photo Analysis
is great for maintaining student engagement. Also, if you let them become the
photographer, they’ll channel their winter excitement into art.
Before
students learn the “lingo” for Photo Analysis, have them write quick responses
to photos. You can choose anything (I love the site Pixabay for this!), but
remember: you’re seeking to activate their critical instinct. What stands out
in the photo? What do the colors make them feel? How does the photographer
guide their eye?
You
know how students need to learn the terms “foreshadowing” and “mood” before
they can explain how an author develops these in text? Photographs are the
same way! Our students are more sophisticated amateur photographers than any
generation before them, but they still need the domain vocabulary. After you
introduce saturation, they’ll understand how the filters on their phones
or on Facebook manipulate it. Moving beyond just choosing a filter, they’ll
articulate formal elements like line, texture, and movement.
In
my unit, I also share two nonfiction readings to build foundational knowledge:
The Psychology of Color and The Psychology of Perspective. [Here’s a FREE copy of The Psychology of Perspective–thanks for being a loyal Coffee Shop reader.]
These two ideas are foundations of media literacy. I aim to transition students
to analyzing advertising and propaganda, so understanding these ideas is
crucial. As a quick research project, have students discover how (and
why!) theme park designers use forced perspective. What a fascinating
topic! This example clearly shows how we’re influenced by design.
I
have students brainstorm broadly about things that stand out to them in a
photo. We close read photos as we close read literature: What captures
your attention? What aspects do you like best? Are there any elements you don’t
understand? Students may need to research the photographer or time period to
truly understand what’s happening in a photograph.
Once
they’ve brainstormed, students pick one idea and transform it into a claim.
For
example, observe the following photograph. Students may claim that the
girl climbing on the netting represents the child’s quest for independence from
the parent.
Once
students have a claim, they go back and look at what they’ve noted through
brainstorming. What formal elements support their claim? How can they ground
their interpretation in the Elements of Art and the Principles of Design?
We can imagine that the texture represents difficulties and obstacles she may face. Additionally, the girl's line of sight leads us to believe she's more interested in the netting itself than looking at the photographer. Perhaps this signifies her desire to concentrate on her achievements, rather than her parents' perspectives on her achievements.
Students
need practice and feedback. Luckily, this is an excellent opportunity for some
collaboration and peer feedback. Also, collaboration means students keep
more responsibility for their learning. Have students brainstorm about
photographs in groups and present a group analysis. Or, have students complete
independent analyses, but then exchange with a partner to discuss how to
strengthen their claims.
Here’s a FREE introduction to Photo Analysis! If you're looking for a flexible unit to work in, you can find mine here. If you don’t have time to do the whole unit,
you can still integrate Photo Analysis throughout the year. You can incorporate
it as your students research–maybe they find a photograph from a historical era
under study and analyze it as art. You could also have students find a
photograph and write an analysis showing how it illustrates the themes of their
independent reading. The possibilities are endless!
Here are some other resources from Coffee Shop Teachers that focus on out-of-the-box ways to help get students into analysis:
Using Art to Analyze and Teach Literature (a blog post by The Daring English Teacher)
Photo Prompt Cards (using photographs to inspire creative writing by Addie Williams)
Video Analysis: This is America (by Tracee Orman)
Analyzing a Music Video FREEBIE (by Stacey Lloyd)
Here are some other resources from Coffee Shop Teachers that focus on out-of-the-box ways to help get students into analysis:
Using Art to Analyze and Teach Literature (a blog post by The Daring English Teacher)
Photo Prompt Cards (using photographs to inspire creative writing by Addie Williams)
Video Analysis: This is America (by Tracee Orman)
Analyzing a Music Video FREEBIE (by Stacey Lloyd)
Happy teaching!
