OBSERVATION...
What I See
- Describe exactly what you see in this photograph. Your description should help someone who cannot see the image to visualize what you are seeing.
- What people and objects do you see in this photograph?
- How are the people dressed?
- What is happening in this photograph?
- Is it posed or candid?
- When was this photograph taken? What is the season?
- Where was this photograph taken? What is the setting?
- Complete this sentence. I see ….. and it makes me think of ….
INTERPRETATION...
What I infer
- Why was this photograph taken?
- What is interesting or surprising about the photograph?
- What is unique about this image that the photographer wanted to capture?
- Why did this photograph survive?
- Do you think this photograph is a legitimate historical document?
- Does the photograph accurately reflect anything about a way of life during this historical period? What do you know about this time period?
- What uses might have been made of this photograph during its initial existence?
- What can you conclude from what you see?
RESEARCH...
What I want to investigate
- Compose research questions that need further investigation based on your observation and interpretation of this photograph.
*Questions adapted from a list written by Loren Horton, former
historian with the State Historical Society of Iowa, and from worksheets on the American Memories collection
