Picturing American HistoryThe Mexican-American War
The BLasT IU 17 Liberty Fellowship
April 26, 2012
Fran Macko, Ph.D.
fmacko@aihe.info
What is visual literacy?
• What is visual literacy?
– Visual literacy is the
ability to interpret
information presented in
the form of an image.
– Visual literacy is based on
the idea that pictures can
be “read”.
• Students view an image
and construct an
interpretation.
Why is visual literacy an important
skill for understanding history?
• Visual literacy activities
provide access to content for
students who have difficulty
reading text.
• Primary source documents in
history are often visual;
paintings, photographs,
cartoons and other images
figure prominently in the
resources that are available
for students.
• State and local assessments
frequently ask students to
interpret images.
Framing the Session:
Using Images in the Classroom
• Images can be used to introduce or enhance a unit of study,
an event or an individual.
• They can also support students in gaining insight into “big
ideas” or essential questions.
– In the elementary school classroom
• What happens when neighboring countries go to war?
– In the middle school classroom
• How did America’s quest for expansion impact its
relationship with Mexico?
– In the high school classroom
• When are the rights of one country in conflict with the rights
of another?
What are the contexts
for “reading” an image?
• An image may be placed
within four historical
contexts:
– The personal history of
the artist
– The history of the style
– The history of the time
represented in the image
– The history of the time in
which it was created
The Personal History of the Artist
• An image may be placed in the context of the personal
history of the artist.
– Landscapes and genre scenes can reflect the area where the
artist lives or lived.
– Portraits can reflect important people in the artist’s life.
– Self-portraits can offer insight into the artist.
The History of a Style
• Images placed in the
broader context of a
style provide insight into
the history of that style
and its particular
nuances or features.
–
–
–
–
Political Cartoons
Social Realism
Hudson River School
Portrait Painting
The History of the Time
Represented in the Image
• Artists who record the
major events of their
own life and times
create unique glimpses
into the period.
–
–
–
–
The American Revolution
The Indian Removal Act
The Civil War
The Depression
The History of the Time
in Which it was Created
• The artist creates a
representation of a
scene or famous event
from a previous time
period.
• These images often
reveal more about the
time in which they were
created than the time
they represent.
– Washington Crossing the
Delaware painted in 1851
by Emile Leutze
Paintings as Primary Sources
• Paintings can be used to document life and history.
• Paintings and their accompanying dates are primary
sources:
– If a painting was created during the time period it
represents, what can be learned about the subject
and the time period?
– How is a painting as reflective of its subject as a
letter or journal?
– If a painting was done after the time period it
represents, what can be learned about the times in
which the painting was created?
– How is a painting as reflective of a time period as
an historian’s or novelist’s commentary?
General Scott’s Entrance into Mexico City”
by Carl Nebel 1851
Taking a Closer Look
•
Using the Painting
Analysis Worksheet,
complete questions 19.
Mexican Man
by Ravell 1920
Taking a Closer Look
• Using the Painting
Analysis Worksheet,
complete questions 19.
Visual Literacy and Accountable Talk
• Once the historic context
for a painting has been set
and students analyze each
of the images, they can
compare the images.
• Discussion or accountable
talk can be structured
around a series of guided
questions.
Digging Deeper: Comparing Two Images of
The Mexican War
Small Group Activity
• Working in small
groups, discuss the two
images using the set of
questions.
• What documents from
the Mexican-American
War would you use as
companion pieces to the
images and how would
you use them?
Combining Text Resources with Images
• Images can be combined with a variety of texts to
support the study of important events and individuals
during the Mexican War.
• From CICERO:
– Primary Sources• The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
• Henry Clay’s Speech on the Mexican-American
War (1847)
Political Cartoons
on The Mexican-American War
More Content Literacy Activities with Images
• Analysis of images can be springboards for other
content area literacy activities.
Making Artwork Come Alive
• Provide the historical context of the image
• Project the image and have students discuss the
artist’s message and how the artwork represents this
message
• Reproduce the image with dialogue boxes
• Choose one character and model an historically
accurate voice.
• Have students work in groups to create dialogue for
the remaining characters in the image
Giving Images a Voice
• Have students choose one character and write a
speech, poem or journal entry in that person’s voice.
• Have students choose one character and interview
him or her.
• Have students build on the dialogue boxes and create
an historically accurate conversation between or
among the characters.
• Have a group of students create a tableaux where
they recreate the image and step into the shoes of
the characters.
Creating a New Perspective:
• Project several images of an historical person from
the time period.
• Have students work in groups to generate a list of
characteristics of that person based on the images.
• Read and analyze a famous speech by the person.
• Have students compare their thoughts on the
individual as portrayed in the image and his or her
words in the document.
• Evaluate whether or not the person’s words coincided
with the artist’s portrayal.
Final Thoughts
• Visual literacy supports
students in making meaning
of historical events and
people.
• It supports students who
struggle to read and
understand text.
• It engages students in the
study of history as students
are increasingly familiar with
visual images.
• It supports critical thinking
skills.
• It provides an entry point
into the study of history.