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Telling Stories With Photo Essays
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Telling Stories With Photo Essays
A Guide for PreK-5 Teachers



October 2009 | 152 pages | Corwin

"The authors offer a wealth of ways to engage children in expressing meaning and documenting experiences through photographs. They provide all the practical help teachers need to use this exciting medium to expand children's ways of perceiving, representing, and thinking about their world."
—Carol Copple, Director of Publications and Initiatives in Educational Practice
National Association for the Education of Young Children

Give children new ways to express their thoughts and ideas!

When children create photo essays, they are encouraged to share their thoughts in an authentic and personal way. This creative new resource offers teachers ready-to-use tools and strategies for involving children in creating photo essays as a way to communicate ideas, experiences, and emotions.

Teachers will discover how to inspire children to capture the aesthetics of their environment, document historical events and personal stories, keep a record of what they learn, and become advocates for causes as they explore responsible citizenship. The book offers ideas and examples that illustrate how photo essays can be used:

  • As part of portfolios to record what children have learned
  • To help boost the confidence of struggling writers, including English language learners and children with special needs
  • As an alternate assessment format to engage challenged students
  • To meet state and national standards

Photo essay activities are ideal for any teacher looking for new ways to nurture student expression, excitement, and creativity in the classroom.


 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Authors
 
Introduction
 
1. Photo Essays and Children
Photography and Expression

 
Children as Photographers

 
 
2. Developing a Photo Essay
Photo Essays

 
Captions and Photographs Working Together for Voice

 
Thinking In-Depth About Captions

 
Timelines

 
Teachers and Photo Essays

 
Presentation Formats for Photo Essays

 
Children Presenting Photo Essays

 
 
3. Photographs Tell a Story in History
Creating a Historical Photo Essay: The Freedom Trail

 
Ideas for Historical Photo Essays

 
 
4. Personal History Photo Essays
Sample Personal History Photo Essay

 
Ideas for Personal History Photo Essays

 
 
5. Nature Experience Photo Essays
Sample Nature Photo Essay

 
Ideas for Nature Photo Essays

 
 
6. Field Trip Photo Essays
Sample Field Trip Photo Essay

 
Ideas for Field Trip Photo Essays

 
 
7. Overcoming Traumatic Events
Sample Photo Essay of a Tornado

 
Ideas for Photo Essays Helping Children Deal With Traumatic Events

 
 
8. Career Photo Essays
Sample Career Photo Essay

 
Ideas for Career Photo Essays

 
 
9. Integrating Curriculum Photo Essays
Sample Photo Essay of an Integrated Math Activity

 
Ideas for Integrated Photo Essays

 
 
10. Advocacy Photo Essays
Sample Advocacy Photo Essay on Endangered Animals

 
Ideas for Advocacy Photo Essays

 
 
11. Using Photographs to Interpret the Past; Contributing Author Dr. Gary Fertig
Using Photographs to Evaluate the Historical Significance of Change

 
Using Photographs to Identify Causes and Effects

 
Using Photographs to Evoke Empathy

 
Using Photographs to Initiate Historical Inquiry

 
Summary and Conclusions

 
 
12. Assessment and Rubrics
 
Resource: Standards Alignment
 
Bibliography of Suggested Children’s Photo Essay Books
 
References
 
Index

"A beneficial reference to working with photo essays with young children.”

Karen Thomes, Teacher
Indian Island School, ME

“This book demonstrates the power of the photo essay to help children grow intellectually and emotionally. It includes ideas for a wide array of projects along with plenty of examples of projects students have done in different schools and community settings. The fantastic thing about the book is the commitment to teaching that serves every child—a commitment that arises from a vision of democratic learning.”

David W. Romtvedt, Professor
University of Wyoming

"Thompson shows as much as tells what photo essays are and how to use them to enhance and extend children’s understanding of their world. Educators will want this book because of the curricular integration, differentiation, and instruction centered on helping children use all components of literacy, including visual representation.”

Michael Opitz, Professor of Reading
University of Northern Colorado, Greeley

“I really like this book, and I’m eager to use it as a supplement for various methods courses in elementary education and early childhood. I would also use it in a special workshop or seminar class.”

Rebecca S. Compton, Professor of Elementary Education
East Central University

"Countless students will be forever changed by this fascinating text and its message that the immense power of images enables anyone to say, 'This is where I am, this is what I see. Look at my world through my eyes.'"

Suzanne Strempek Shea, Author of Sundays in America

"The authors offer a wealth of ways to engage children in expressing meaning and documenting experiences through photographs. They provide all the practical help teachers need to use this exciting medium to expand children’s ways of perceiving, representing, and thinking about their world."

Carol Copple, Director of Publications and Initiatives in Educational Practice
National Association for the Education of Young Children
Key features
  • Includes sample photo essays covering a variety of topics, including family histories and field trips/nature walks
  • From a teacher-educator who has hands-on experience with children and shares real examples with teachers
  • Presents uses of technology for the early childhood classroom
  • Is built on research into how children best learn
  • Includes 40 photographs of various types of photo essays

For instructors

Select a Purchasing Option


Paperback
ISBN: 9781412964593
$28.95

Hardcover
ISBN: 9781412964586
$67.95