Development Unit: Photojournalism

In what ways might a photo be worth a thousand words? In a study of the development and impact of photojournalism as a catalyst for change in the world, we will investigate the Central Question: How do images change the world? We will examine photographic images and related informational texts centered around the roots of modern photojournalism in Civil War photography, Edward Curtis’s The North American Indian project, Dorothea Lange’s Depression-era Migrant Mother photographs, Charles Moore’s photographs of the Civil Rights Movement, and Richard Drew’s photograph of 9/11’s Falling Man. We will study how iconic photos such as these capture, represent (or misrepresent), and influence the events of history, and we will develop our own positions about the importance of a selected American photojournalist.

• Section 1: Edward Curtis and The North American Indian

• Section 2: Dorothea Lange, Migrant Mother, and Depression-Era Photojournalism

• Section 3: Charles Moore, Birmingham, Alabama, and the Civil Rights Movement

• Section 4: Richard Drew, Falling Man, and American Photojournalistic Responses to 9/11

• Section 5: Culminating Task