Write what you would share as an entry in your notebook. After students have had time to respond in writing, ask for volunteers to read their entries to the class. Students will now embark into the Great Depression unit much more tuned in to the great personal dramas of this disaster, and perhaps feel more personally involved in the material. For example, with science pictures, emphasize students personally witnessing what is portrayed in the photo, and guide them through noticing details as if they were actually viewing the scene. To Be In Pictures is a strategy that stimulates students to process new learning through extensive use of mental imagery.
Students develop empathy for others as they make connections to learning through photographs.
Students encounter key ideas before reading, are likely to be motivated to learn more about the topic, and are primed to learn from text materials that they may otherwise regard as impersonal.