Chapter 14 Catching Time: Documentary Photography and Social Reflection

Empathy is something that we have talked about almost every week related to every lesson. Creating empathy is an important concept that helps children relate to one another and make art work with deeper meanings. So how can we use photography in the classroom as a tool to help students relate and reflect with one another? When thinking of a lesson to incorporate this idea I think of a lesson that allows students to learn about photography first. Have students learn why photos have an impact. I mean we have all heard the saying a picture is worth a thousand words. After teaching the students techniques and how to take photos have them go out and take a series of photos that tells a story about themselves. These photos can be ambiguous or more straight forward. But this allows students to express themselves in a story told by pictures. Once mounted and displayed for a critique I would have students individually go around and write their own reactions and thoughts about each piece then come together as a whole and talk about each person's work. This allows students to develop empathy and learn about one another through a series of pictures and then learn more when the piece is discussed as a whole. 

Literacy Through Photography (LPT) "is a teaching philosophy and methodology that encourages children to explore their world as they photograph scenes through their own lives an to use their images as catalysts fro verbal and written expression." This is a great way to integrate other disciplinary subjects into the curriculum. Art is not always just about making, but also the process, displaying, connecting, and reflecting about a piece. When looking at the National Core Art Standards Connecting is one of the Anchor Standards. Specifically, look at Anchor Standard #10 that states, "Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to create art." This is important because students want to create art that is about them and has a connection to them. This makes reflecting back at the work have meaning to the student. In Wendy Ewald's LPT project the students are taking photos of themselves, their communities, and their families and then the students can write and express themselves on the photos. The students are reflecting on their photos when taking them, writing on them, and then also reflecting when they are finished. 

Zana Briski and "Born into Brothels" is a very powerful documentary! The stories that are told through photos is unreal. As I talked about before in the first paragraph of this post I would have students create a series about their own life. Students could take photos from their phones or cameras using unique lighting or perspectives (the options are endless). Each student would create a series about who they are or how they became who they are. Through these photographs the student must tell a story. Once the photos are taken the students will have a chance to write or express themselves on the photos themselves just like Literacy Through Photographs did. Students will then display their photographs to be seen so their classmates will have a chance to observe and reflect on one another's work. Through this the students will be able to develop empathy, improve their communication skills, and learn about photography.