James P. Brochin
Course Title: Journalism, or
United States History II
Unit Title: War Photography:
Propaganda, Outrage, and Empathy
Grade Level: Junior or Senior
Approximate Time Period: 10 days
(8 classes including two block classes)
Social Studies Standards (Connecticut Frameworks):
Content Standard 1: Historical Thinking
Use primary source documents to analyze multiple perspectives.
Content Standard 3: Historical Themes
Students will apply their understanding of historical periods, issues and trends to examine such historical themes as ideals, beliefs and institutions: conflict and conflict resolution; human movement and interaction; and science and technology in order to understand how the world came to be the way it is.
Content Standard 4: Applying History
Students will recognize the continuing importance of historical thinking and historical knowledge in their own lives and in the world in which they live.
Visual Arts Standards (Connecticut Frameworks)
Content Standard 1: Media
Students will understand, select and apply media, techniques and processes.
Content Standard 4: History and Cultures
Students will understand the visual arts in relation to history and cultures.
Content Standard 5: Analysis, Interpretation and Evaluation
Students will reflect upon, describe, analyze, interpret and evaluate artwork.
Unit Goals/Objectives. Students will be able to:
-
1) describe and analyze their own personal reaction to war photographs.
-
2) describe in detail the content of images.
-
3) identify and describe structural and compositional elements of images, and focus on significant characteristics of a medium and why this medium was preferred to other media to express content in a historical period with attention to the design concepts and content.
-
4) identify the historical context of photographic images.
-
5) describe important steps in the development of photographic technology from the Civil War to today's digital SLR's.
-
6) identify and describe the use of war photography, particularly on the "home front," as a propaganda tool.
-
7) identify and describe the role that war photography has had in awakening a feeling of outrage against atrocities and other war crimes.
-
8) identify and describe the role that war photography has had in awakening a feeling of empathy for the many victims of war, wherever they may live and whatever culture they may be from.