Overview:

This lesson will introduce students to the history of photography and photographic techniques. We wil look at photographic work from its' inception to contemporary photographers who used photography as a social media to explore how it differs from other media and how its' used in our

lives. This lesson will focus on the work of Stieglitz, Steichen, Atget, Brassai, Dorothea Lange, Weegee, Cindy Sherman, Carrie Mae Weems, Lorna Simpson, and Barbara Krueger as wel as different types of photographic processes ranging from daguerreotypes to digital imaging. Students will participate in discussions in how photography was used in the past, present, and speculate how it might be used in the future to develop an awareness of it as a communication tool.

Big Ideas/Essential Questions

• How is photography different from other media?

• How has the use of photographs changed over time?

• What techniques are used to create photographs?

• How has photography been used to address social issues?

Louisiana Standards:

 • VA.912.C.3.3: Examine relationships among social, historical, literary, and /or other references to explain how they are assimilated into artworks.

• VA.912.C.3.6: Discus how hte aesthetics of artwork and utilitarian objects have changed over time.

• VA.912.C.3.2: Develop and apply criteria to determine how aesthetic works are aligned with a personal definition of "art."

• VA.912.5.1.6: Describe processes and techniques used to record visual imagery.

Lesson Objectives:

• The students will be able to describe the history of photography.

• Students will be able to differentiate between different types of photography.

• Students will be able to discuss how artists use photography as a social media and how it

has been democratized over time. Tools and Materials

Slide show lesson presented by the teacher.

Research paper on Facebook Profile images- see resources Lesson from PBS website on the history of photography.

Introduction

This lesson will focus on the historiography of photography along with a discussion of how students use photography in their daily lives and the meaning of those photographs.

Process

After presenting the students with an overview of photography, students will be asked to describe how they use photography and the different ways they create photographic images. After this discussion, the teacher will present a series of photographs from history and have students discuss the intent of the artists, the subject matter, and the overall theme of the photograph while discussing the technological innovations that led to its rise as a democratic medium.

Assessment

• Can students describe how photography started and the different processes used in making

photographic images?

• How well can students deconstruct images for their theme, content, and affect?

Artists Weegee

Edward Steichen

Alfred Stieglitz 

Man Ray

Dorothea Lange 

Cindy Sherman 

Carrie Mae Weems

Lorna Simpson 

Barbara Krueger

Sandy Skoagland 

Louis Daguerre