Veronica Martinez

10/11/16

Doing History with Students: Photograph

I used a photo of a one-room schoolhouse from the 1900s with my first grade class at

Kearny Elementary School in Santa Fe, NM. Nineteen children were present for the lesson on

Thursday, October 6, 2016 at 12:45 pm. I decided to use this assignment for my formal

observation with my UNM supervisor, so she, along with my cooperating teacher were present as

well. In addition to the photo, I used two videos I found on YouTube that were created by other

students, discussing the differences between schools in the past and today. I liked the videos

because I felt that my first graders could relate more to the children sharing the information, and

the information given was pertinent and easy to understand.

I prepared a Power Point presentation with my photo, and used the zoom-in/zoom-out

strategy to present the photo. I put the students into four groups of five, and asked them to look

at the photo first and pick out something they noticed. Then I had them turn and talk with their

group members about what they saw. I had the students repeat this process until the entire photo

was shown. The zoom-in/zoom-out process kept my first graders engaged, and with each slide

the anticipation would build among them. My supervisor commented on this process, and loved

the drama that came with each slide. She remarked that none of the children appeared fatigued,

and the timing was perfect for their attention.

Before the lesson, I prepared two charts on chart paper. The first, was a replicated version

of the NCSS photo observation worksheet. I divided my chart paper into three sections: People,

Objects, and Activities. However, I added subtitles to objects (Things in the picture) and

activities (What are the people doing?). I felt this would help the students categorize better what
they would see. I also titled the chart paper, Photo Observations, but explained that it was the

same thing as a Picture Talk, so that it was not intimidating and more relatable to what the

students have done before. The second chart was a T-chart that I labeled Schools Then and Now:

Past vs. Today.

After the entire photo was on the screen, and we as a class discussed what we saw, I

explained to the students that they studied the photo the same way a historian does. I explained

who and what a historian is, and also, as a class we defined what an artifact is and why they are

important. Once I went over this, the students called out what they saw in the photo and I wrote

their responses onto the columns of my Photo Observations chart.

After the videos, as a class we discussed the similarities/differences between school in the

past and today. I wrote the students responses on the T-chart. I also was able to find a photo of

an old set of school punishments that teachers could use on their students in the past. I explained

to my class how students could be paddled, whipped, or hit with a ruler by their teacher if they

broke the school rules. This part of my lesson left all of my students wide-eyed and happy that

they couldnt be paddled today. One little boy remarked, I would be dead! and I knew that the

students really thought about the implications of corporal punishment in school.

I thought the overall lesson and activity went well, and so did my supervisor and

cooperating teacher. The only part that I felt went wrong, was my second YouTube videos

volume was not very loud. The students, however, all stayed very quiet to hear. I was impressed

with them for staying that quiet, and it made me feel good, because I knew they were interested

in what they were learning. Since the volume was not loud, I decided to summarize a few of the

points that were different from the first video. This included how the schools in past practiced
nooning or a whole hour of lunch and recess. My students really liked the idea of a whole hour

of recess.

I extended the lesson into a writing activity where the students had to choose whether

they would like to go to school in past or today, and why, using what they learned from the

videos and discussions. Many of the students wrote how they would prefer to go to school today

because they did not want to be paddled. A few chose the past because of the hour long recess,

and a couple others chose today, but because of I-pads.

The next time I teach a photo analysis lesson with the first graders, I will give them their

own graphic organizer to fill out, or maybe a group graphic organizer. This way they could

practice actively filling out the chart on their own, and then we could share as a whole group

what was written down and discussed. I could put a limit like three people, three objects, and

three activities.

Overall, I found the lesson to be a success, and I was happy that my supervisor had

nothing but positive things to say about the lesson and zoom-in/zoom-out activity. I was happy as

I watched my students study the photo and talk with one another about their findings. I loved the

expressions on their faces as they learned about schools in the past, and of course, when they

heard the school rules/punishments. I wondered how many of them would go home and tell their

parents that they learned about students in the past and how they had to use the bathroom outside

in an outhouse, or that students were paddled.

 Schoolhouse circa 1900s

YouTube Video Links

School Then and Now, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QL8j8TccjYM

School: Then and Now Talking With Ruby, https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=n4lFPv82M_s