The Power of an Image

Sometimes a single photograph or image can have a far greater emotional impact the words in a textbook. Images can provoke emotional reactions, deep questions, and meaningful dialogue in any subject area at any grade level. Below are two, easy to use tools to help you use images in your instruction. Imagine talking about the current events in southern California by sharing the image below.

Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42647131

Strategy #1- Observe, Reflect, Wonder 

Get your students to think about the images using the Observe, Reflect, Wonder Strategy from the Library of Congress.

Observe- Ask students to identify and note details

Describe what you see. • What do you notice first? • What people and objects are shown? • How are they arranged? • What is the physical setting? • What, if any, words do you see? • What other details can you see?

Reflect-Encourage students to generate and test hypotheses about the source

Why do you think this image was made? • What’s happening in the image? • When do you think it was made? • Who do you think was the audience for this image? • What tools were used to create this? • What can you learn from examining this image? • If someone made this today, what would be different? • What would be the same?

Question- Invite students to ask questions that lead to more observations and reflections 
What do you wonder about... who? • what? • when? • where? • why? • how?

Strategy #2- Image Reveal 

The slow reveal of an image can provoke curiosity at the beginning of a lesson. Click on the slideshow below to remove one block at a time. Can you just imagine the conversations that will start with a slow reveal of this image?

You can quickly make this into your own Image Reveal Presentation by clicking the link below to make your own copy. Directions are included. 

Click here to make your own presentation