Visual Historical Narratives
Teacher: Hannah Weisman, Shelburne Museum
Grade Level of Lesson: High School
Time Required: One class period for introduction; one – two weeks for research and project fabrication
Topic: Historical Narratives
Context & Differentiation:
This lesson can be utilized by students studying any historical era. The introductory activity focuses on the
artwork of Jacob Lawrence and is set in the early twentieth century, during the Great Migration. Students analyze
Lawrence’s series of paintings and use it as a model to design their own stories, weaving images and text.
Students read and view primary and secondary sources on a topic of their choice and synthesize information into
an historical argument. Then, students communicate their argument visually and in writing using images they
collect, images they create, and text they write. Students understand that both writing and art-making are
processes that require research and revision.
Content Standards:
VT H&SS 9-12:10 – Students show understanding of past, present, and future time by creating an historical
narrative within the context of an identified historical era.
Historical Processes:
VT H&SS 9-12:7 - Students communicate their inquiry finding using a combination of images and text to tell the
story of an era through visual historical narratives.
Common Core Standards:
Reading Standards for Informational Text (Integration of Knowledge and Ideas 7) – Students integrate visual,
quantitative, and qualitative information in order to synthesize an assigned topic and tell the story through visual
narrative.
Focus Question: How do images and art help to tell the story of the people and places of the era in which they
are created?
Culminating Assessment:
Building on the exercises in this lesson, students will create their own visual historical narratives. Students
may use the stories that they began in class as a starting point for their projects, or they may choose to work
on a new topic. Set and communicate clear topic parameters and deadlines that are a good match for your
students. Distribute Project Expectations (Appendix A) and Scoring Guide (Appendix B). Be sure to
review these with students and answer clarifying questions.
Formative Assessment:
 Teacher facilitates exploration of Lawrence’s paintings and text.
 Teacher ensures that students have access to information about desired topics. This might include
brainstorming ideas as a class, assisting with selection of resources, student conferences, exit cards,
etc.
Teaching and Learning Activities:
Depending on how much time the teacher wants students to dedicate to the introductory activity, the teacher can cull images
from the Library of Congress’ Prints and Photographs and/or American Memory collection (or other online sources of
primary images), or can assign image searching to students. If the teacher prefers to preselect images for students to use, the
project topic will likely have to be assigned. If the teacher prefers to allow students to select their own images, students can
have more freedom in choosing their own topics for the project.
Preparatory Work (Teacher selecting images)
Using the Library of Congress’ Prints and Photographs Online Catalog (http://www.loc.gov/pictures) and/or American
Memory site (http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html), select 15-30 images related to your period of study. Resize and
print images at about 4”x4”.
Introduction/Classroom Component
Explain to students that they will create their own visual narrative to tell a story about the historical period under study. The
in-class activities will prepare them for this task.
1 - Read Jacob Lawrence’s book The Great Migration as a class.
2 - Choose two or three paintings from the book to look at closely and discuss with students. Ask students to consider:
•
What do you see in each painting?
•
What emotions does each painting evoke? Why? What artistic elements contribute to your
emotional response?
•
What historical facts are embedded in each painting?
•
What statement is the artist making about this historical event in each painting?
What is your evidence for that?
•
How are the paintings related to each other?
•
What artistic techniques did the artist use to make his paintings a series rather than stand-alone paintings?
•
How do the text and the paintings support each other?
•
What details does the text provide that the artwork does not?
•
What details does the artwork provide that the text does not?
•
What is the artist’s overall statement or thesis regarding the Great Migration?
What is your evidence for that?
•
What kinds of research do you think the artist had to do to create his paintings and write the text?
3 - Distribute to each student a set of photographs (or allow time for students to locate images for themselves), a ledger-sized
piece of paper or cardstock, glue or tape, pencils, and markers.




Ask students to select 3 or more images from the set of photographs that all tell part of a single story related to your
time period or theme of study.
Have students organize their selected images onto the ledger-sized paper in an order that tells part of a story.
Using pencils and/or markers, ask each student to sketch a fourth image that continues the story begun with the
historic images.
Have students caption their images with brief text to outline their stories.
4 - Group students into pairs or small groups and have them share and discuss their storyboards. Ask them to consider the
same kinds of questions you considered as a class when looking at Jacob Lawrence’s work. Ask students to provide each
other with feedback about how they can continue telling their stories, what kinds of information would make their stories
more complete, and what kinds of visual elements will strengthen their storytelling.
5 - Explain that this exercise is an introduction to a research project. Students may use the stories that they began in class as a
starting point for their projects, or they may choose to work on a new topic.
Resources:
Primary:
Lawrence, Jacob et al. The Great Migration: An American Story. New York: Museum of Modern Art, 1993.
Library of Congress. American Memory. Available at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html. Accessed 15 May 2012.
Library of Congress. Prints and Photographs Online Catalog. Available at http://www.loc.gov/pictures. Accessed 15
May 2012.
Materials:
Appendix A – Project Expectations
Appendix B – Scoring Guide
Ledger-size (11” x 17”) paper or cardstock
Printed images from LOC Prints and Photographs Online Catalog and/or American Memory
Double-sided tape or glue
Pencils
Markers
Appendix A
Visual Historical Narratives Research Project
In The Great Migration: An American Story, Jacob Lawrence’s painting and text combine to tell the story
of an historic period. We have looked closely at the art and language to make connections and analyze the
story that this series of paintings tells. You practiced this technique in class, and now you will have the
opportunity to create a more thorough visual historical narrative of your own. Please review the
expectation below and consult the scoring guide as you plan and execute this project.
Research projects should consist of:
•
A 10-15 panel series of images, at least 3 of which must be original student artwork
•
Captions of no more than 50 words for each image
•
A properly formatted bibliography
Research should include:
•
At least 1 primary source document/text
•
At least 1 historic photograph, print, painting, or other image
•
Use of at least 1 digital collection of images
Research projects should:
•
Tell a clear story about the time period or theme under study
•
Demonstrate interpretation and synthesis of primary and secondary sources into an argument
Images and text should:
•
Communicate historical facts
•
Support the student’s argument
•
Complement each other
Original artwork and student-generated text should:
•
Be polished work, not “rough drafts”
•
Fit together as a single body of work
Appendix B
Visual Historical Narratives Scoring Guide
Below
Standard
Approaches
Standard
Achieves
Standard
Exceeds
Standard
Historical Context
Images and text
are not
authentic to the
time period and
/ or evidence is
not historically
accurate.
Contains images
and text that are
authentic to the
time period, but
historical facts fail
to support the
narrative.
Contains images and
text that are authentic
to the time period,
including historical
facts that support the
narrative.
Contains images and
text that highlight the
time period, including
historical facts that
support and
compliment the
narrative.
Use of Primary
Resources
Does not
include
required
sources .
Includes some
sources but fails to
demonstrate
interpretation and
synthesis of
primary and
secondary sources
into an argument.
Includes the requisite
sources and
demonstrates
interpretation and
synthesis of primary
and secondary sources
into an argument.
Includes an assortment
of exceptional sources
and demonstrates
unique interpretation
and synthesis of primary
and secondary sources
into a compelling
argument.
Narrative
Images and text
fail to connect
or tell a clear
story about the
time period or
theme under
study.
Images and text tell
a story about the
time period or
theme under study,
but lack clarity
and/or connection.
Images and text
connect to tell a clear
story about the time
period or theme under
study.
Images and text connect
to tell an engaging story
unique to the time
period or theme under
study.