Traveling Around Nebraska
Lesson Plans
Grade:
9-12
Time:
Two 50-minute sessions or one
90-minute session
Lesson Introduction:
The Western Trails Project
has digitized photographs from Nebraska History. Using black
and white photographs from the
Stuhr
Museum of the Prairie Pioneer collection, students will
analyze a variety of types of transportation.
Goals/Standards:
Nebraska Social Studies:
12.1.11
Students will demonstrate
historical research and geographical skills by:
- Identifying, analyzing,
and interpreting primary and secondary sources and
artifacts.
- Constructing various
time lines of key events, periods, and personalities
since the 10th century.
12.3.17
Students will develop skills
for historical analysis, such as the ability to:
-
Analyze documents,
records, and data, such as artifacts, diaries, letters,
photographs, journals, newspapers, and historical
accounts.
-
Formulate historical
questions and defend findings based on inquiry and
interpretation.
-
Develop perspectives
of time and place, such as the construction of various
time lines of events, periods, and personalities
in American history.
-
Communicate findings
orally, in brief analytical essays, and in a comprehensive
paper.
AASL/AECT
Information Literacy:
1.
The student who is information literate accesses information
efficiently and effectively
1.2
Formulate questions based
on information needs
1.4
Develops and uses successful
strategies for locating information
3. The
student who is information literate uses information
accurately and creatively.
3.1
Organizes information for
practical application
3.2
Integrates new information
into one's own knowledge
3.3
Produces and communicates
information and ideas in appropriate formats
Objectives:
- Examine
historical photographs as primary sources
- Strengthen
student inquiry and critical observation skills
- Gather and analyze data from photos and maps and form
generalizations
- Describe particular events from
history in detail
- Develop writing skills
Materials:
-
Photographic Analysis Form, from the American Memory
Collection
- Computer for each student, or show photographs
to all class using an LCD projector
Procedure:
Before
class, photocopy the
Photographic Analysis Form and have one ready for
each student
-
Discuss the Photographic
Analysis Form, using a current or historical photograph
from their textbook as an example.
-
Introduce the
Western Trails Project to students, focusing
on the transportation photographs from the
Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer. Go to
Western Trails Home, scroll down and click on
Photo Galleries, scroll down and click on Transportation
Photographs.
-
Using the Photographic
Analysis Form, students will locate and analyze
two transportation photographs. Demonstrate to
the students the difference between a subjective
and objective evaluation. Students will first
conduct an objective evaluation, documenting ONLY
what they see, not what they think. Questions
may be:
- What do you see?
- What items are in the picture?
- Types of clothing?
- Hair styles?
- Type of vehicle?
- Landscape?
- Student will next conduct
a subjective evaluation. Questions may be:
- What do you think they are doing?
- How do you think they feel?
- When do you think this might have taken place?
- Where do you think this might have taken place?
(Some photographs are dated, some are not)
-
After analyzing the
photographs, students will use other resources in
the school library media center to determine the
time period they are seeing in the photograph and
complete the knowledge section of the photographic
analysis form. Students will document major national
events from that time period. Timelines, reference
books and web sites on United States History may
be used.
-
The student will then
fill out the deduction section of the analysis form
by using the subjective, objective and knowledge
sections to help determine what was actually happening
in this photograph from Nebraska history. The
student will write a short paragraph (5 sentences
minimum) to tell the story of this photograph.
-
Students will meet
in groups of four and share their observations of
the two photographs with the others in the group.
Assessment:
A
Photographic
Analysis Rubric will be used for the student and
teacher to evaluate the process and product of this
assignment.
Photographic Analysis Rubric
|
Achievement Level
|
Analysis of Photograph |
Knowledge of Historical Context |
Resources |
Understands Task |
| 4 |
Offers in-depth subjective and objective
analysis and interpretation of the
photograph
Distinguishes between fact and
opinion |
Shows evidence of thorough knowledge of
period in which photograph was taken
Relates primary sources to specific
historical events |
Uses many outside resources in addition
to photograph to determine events of the
time period |
Understands task requirements and rubric
and is able to explain so others understand |
|
3 |
Offers accurate analysis of the photograph
|
Use previous general historical knowledge to examine photograph
|
Uses 1-2 outside resources in addition to photograph to determine the events of the time period
|
Understands most of the task requirements and rubric
|
| 2 |
Demonstrates only a minimal understanding of the photograph
Presents only a minimal analysis
|
Limited use of historical knowledge without complete accuracy |
Uses only one outside resource in addition to photograph to determine the events of the time period
|
Somewhat confused about task requirements and rubric and does not ask for explanation
|
| 1 |
Reiterates one or two facts from the photograph but does not offer any analysis or interpretation of the photograph
|
Barely indicates any historical knowledge
|
Uses no outside resources to determine the events of the time period
|
Randomly selects historical sources with no understanding of task requirements or rubric and does not ask for explanation
|
Citation Information Available through Search:
On any Nebraska Western Trails page, click on "Search" in the banner to
access the database search screen. The student should use the
drop-down to change the search to keyword then type
a word that was used in the
description of a photograph in the photo gallery (e.g. horse, buggy,
motorcycle). Click on the Search button.
At the next screen the student should scan the resulting thumbnail
images and click on the desired photo gallery photograph. This brings
up the image record, which includes citation and rights information.
Teacher Resources:
Optional photographic analysis forms: