Shari, I have two worksheets that may be of use to you. The first is adapted from a National Archives "Photograph Analysis Sheet." I made this for a workshop on exhibition techniques for local historical societies. The second is from a program we do here with middle school students exploring the different types of historical evidence. Best of luck! Here's the first worksheet: Part 1: Read a Photograph Adapted from the “Photograph Analysis Sheet” developed by the National Archives and Records Administration. Examine your photograph closely and then answer these questions as best you can. Observation: Study the photograph for 2 minutes. Form an overall impression of the photograph and then examine the individual items. Next, divide the photo into quadrants and study each section to see what new details become visible. Use the chart below to list people, objects, and activities in the photograph. People Objects (including buildings and landscape features) Activities What clues would you use to determine a date for this photograph? Think about the vantage point of the photographer. Where was s/he standing? What kind of technology is featured in the photo? (power lines, cars, carriages) What questions does this photograph raise in your mind? Where could you find answers to these questions? Part 2 Read Between the Lines of a Photograph Why did the photographer take this picture? Is the scene dominated by people or nature? What does this photograph tell us about the beliefs of the society it features? Their standards of living? Their philosophies? Their values? What does this object tell you about people’s tastes and habits? Now that you have carefully read this photograph, think of all the different stories it could tell or ideas it could demonstrate. ***We also did a very basic photo analysis sheet for students who are role playing as "researchers" in our "You be the Historian" program. These questions are pretty concrete and are specific to the photos, but might be useful to you: LOOK CAREFULLY AT THE TWO PHOTOGRAPHS. ONE PHOTOGRAPH IS A PORTRAIT OF TWO PEOPLE; THE OTHER IS A SCENE. FOR EACH PHOTOGRAPH, ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: PORTRAIT: How old are the people? Do you think they are related to each other? Why or why not? Were they wealthy? Why or why not? Why aren’t they smiling? What else can you tell about these people from studying the photograph? SCENE: How many people can you see in this picture? How many animals? Describe the buildings. What else do you see in the photograph? Do you think the people knew they were having their picture taken? What else can you find out about the picture and the people in it from reading the writing on the back of the photograph? Sorry for long message, hope this is useful! Amy Cunningham Director of Education Vermont Historical Society 109 State Street Montpelier, VT 05609-0901 phone (802) 828-5670 fax (802) 828-3638 e-mail [log in to unmask] Visit our web site: www.vermonthistory.org _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp. ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).