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Lesson 11

How does a selected Curtis photograph depict its subject and influence our perceptions of Native Americans? We will present our photographic analysis to a student review team for the Section 1 Diagnostic.

Lesson Goals

Reading and Knowledge

  • Determine Meaning and Purpose: How well do I use connections among visual details, elements, and effects to make logical deductions about the perspective, purpose, and meaning of a photograph by Edward Curtis?

Writing

  • Form Claims: How well do I develop and clearly communicate a meaningful and defensible claim about the significance of a photograph by Edward Curtis?
  • Communicate Effectively: How well do I use language and evidence to develop and present a written and oral analysis of a photograph by Edward Curtis?

Speaking and Listening

  • Communicate Effectively: How well do I use language to present my analysis of a photograph by Edward Curtis in a clear and organized manner?

Texts

Core

  • Digital Access
    • “Edward S. Curtis’s The North American Indian,” Northwestern University

Materials

Tools

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Present – Discuss

We will join a student review team, to whom we will present what we have learned about our selected Edward Curtis photograph from the north American Indian.

As directed by your teacher, join a review team, to which you will present what you have learned about your selected Edward Curtis photograph.

Review the task questions, which should guide your presentations and discussions:

In what ways does the photograph do the following:

  1. Visually depict its subject and evoke truth or beauty?

  2. Document aspects of Native American life, culture, people, or activities?

  3. Represent Curtis’s work, commitment, and style as a photojournalist?

  4. Have enduring significance as a representation of Native American history?

In a round-robin introductory discussion, identify and show your photograph, briefly explaining why you selected it to examine further.

Activity 2: Present

In a 5-minute presentation, we will communicate what we have learned about our photograph to our review team.

In a 5-minute presentation, communicate what you have learned about your photograph to your review team, including the following:

  • Your visual analysis of the photograph and any descriptions of it by others.

  • Information you have identified or researched about the photograph, its tribe and subject, and the context in which it was taken.

  • Your evidence-based claim about why the photograph is representative of Curtis’s work and significant as documentation of Native American life, history, and culture.

Activity 3: Discuss

We will respond to questions from our review team and ask questions of other presenters, thinking about how the photographs we are reviewing relate to each other and represent Edward Curtis’s photojournalism.

Step 1

Respond to questions from your review team, and ask questions of other presenters, thinking about how the photographs you are reviewing relate to each other and represent Edward Curtis’s photojournalism.

When everyone has presented their photographs, discuss the following question:

  1. How did Edward Curtis’s work advance photojournalism, change our perceptions of Native American culture, and influence other photographers?

Step 2

Submit your 1-2 paragraph visual analysis to your teacher.

Activity 4: Write – Discuss

We will reflect on our work on the Section Diagnostic and assess how prepared we are for the Culminating Task.

Step 1

Choose at least three of the questions below regarding the Section Diagnostic and respond to them in your Learning Log:

  1. How well did you take necessary action to prepare for the task?

  2. What went well for you during the completion of this task?

  3. What did you struggle with during the completion of this task? How did you push through these struggles?

  4. How well did you actively focus your attention during this independent task?

  5. How well did you develop and use an effective and efficient process to maintain workflow during this task?

  6. What would you do differently during the next Section Diagnostic?

Step 2

Now, find your Culminating Task Progress Tracker. Think about the knowledge you have gained and the skills you have practiced thus far in the unit. Use the Culminating Task Progress Tracker to do the following:

  • Add or refine any skills and content knowledge required for the Culminating Task.

  • Evaluate how well you are mastering the skills and knowledge required for the Culminating Task.

Step 3

Review the Central Question of the unit:

How do images change the world?

Use the following questions to guide a discussion with a partner or small group:

  1. What new knowledge do you have that relates to the Central Question?

  2. What are you still curious about that relates to the Central Question?

  3. What is the relationship between the Central Question and the texts you have read so far? How do the texts shed light on the question? How does the question help you understand the texts?

  4. How has your response to the question evolved, deepened, or changed?

In your Learning Log, write your response to Question 4. You will return to this response in later lessons to examine how your understanding of the Central Question has evolved.