Grade 1: Identity and Character Traits Represented in Archival Pictures (lesson 2/ 2)
This lesson can be integrated into the primary curriculum on many levels. While useful for Social Studies units on Self, Family and School, this lesson is also designed to address the Language Arts curriculum and can be used for teaching about making connections. This unit also addresses Social Responsibility and asks children to consider positive and negative personality and character traits. This lesson uses content from the Multicultural Canada Website to encourage students to view archival pictures from several perspectives and points of view. This lesson is to be taught in conjunction with lesson One.
Objectives
It is expect ed that students will:
Participate cooperatively and proactively in groups
Draw simple interpretations from personal experiences, oral sources, and visual representations
Present information using oral, visual, or written representation
Materials
Handout of What I Think/ What my Partner Thinks(BLM 1.1)
Handout of What do we Think Now?(BLM 2.2)
Two copies of each of the following archival pictures:
Teacher prep: One copy of each picture should not have the title or any information about the picture listed. The second copy of the picture should have the title and a short synopsis of the picture (people, events, time source etc…). You will find the archival information on the same page as the photo. In some browsers, you can print the photo using the browser's print function. If this does not work, right-click on the photo and choose "Print picture" or "View Image" and then use the browser's print button.
Activities
5 minutes: As a class, review Lesson One, and ask children to recal if their perceptions of themselves were at all different from their classmates’ perceptions of them. Review The True Story of the Three Little Pigs By Jon Scieszka. Ask children to name examples of how the pig’s perception of the wolf in traditional stories is different from the wolf’s perception of himself in this story.
20 minutes: Divide students into pairs and pass out the copies of the archival pictures that do not have titles. Instruct students to think about who is in the picture, what is happening in the picture, and whose perspective is being represented in the pictures. Pass out copies of BLM 1.1 for students to complete. Students should use the same bank of “character trait” words that they created in lesson one to describe the people that they see in the pictures. Remind students that they are using the picture to imagine the character traits of the people represented in the pictures.
10 minutes: Pass out the copies of the pictures that include the picture title with short descriptions of the scenario. Instruct students to reconsider the pictures, and to discuss if their knowledge of the title or access to additional information changes their perception of the pictures, or the people in the pictures. Pass out BLM 2.2 for students to complete.
15 minutes: Gather as a group. Revisit the discussion about perspectives from lesson one, and the concept of bias and how the storyteller can create or put forth a different point of view. Ask students to share their interpretations of the archival pictures, and whether or not their perspectives/point of view/opinion were similar to or different from their partner’s and if they changed their ideas about the people in the picture one the found out more about the picture.
Assessment
Anecdotal. As students participate in the activities and discussion, take note of students’ understanding of perspective, bias and point of view. Refer to the Critical Thinking Rubric to assess students’ capacity and ability to use critical thinking skills.
Extension
Challenge students explore other archival pictures or to work with adults or older students to further research the events depicted in the pictures.
Challenge students to find other print media (pictures from Newspapers for example) to determine the point of view and different possible perspectives.
