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There is real value in using
images to promote thought, provoke feelings, and to elicit conversations.
Images help us learn, images grab attention, images explain tough concepts, and
inspire.
We are very visual creatures. A
large percentage of the human brain dedicates
itself to visual processing. Our love of images lies with our
cognition and ability to pay attention. Images are able to grab our attention
easily, we are immediately drawn to them. Think about this blog, for example:
did you look at the words first, or the image?
In a world where we are
bombarded by stimuli, we often seek the easiest and most fluent way of
acquiring and learning information. Reading can be a slow and time-consuming
activity. It takes a lot longer to
read a long sentence than to analyze a visual scene.
Provocative
Satirical Artwork by Pawel Kuczynski
Pawel Kuczynski is a Polish artist
that specializes in satirical illustration. Born in 1976 in Szczecin, Poland,
he graduated with a graphics degree from the Fine Arts Academy in Poznan. Pawel
has been focusing on satire since 2004 and has garnered nearly a hundred prizes
and distinctions since then.
Much
of his artwork deals with serious themes such as poverty, greed, politics and
mortality. While his subject matter is stark, his illustrative style is
whimsical and cartoonish. This provides great contrast and makes his work
interesting to analyze. I find his artwork lends itself to be used to provoke
student’s thoughts on current political issues and lifestyle choices.
Below
you will find a curated selection of Pawel’s provocative illustrations:
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| Control |
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| Fat Mouse |
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| Press |
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| Snowman |
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| Voting |
Kuczynski’s work is clever in that if gets you thinking long
before you know the signifigance behind his message. In that way it challenges
us to re-examine our preconceived notions – or even the notions we ignore –
giving us a chance to reassess our thinking.
Observation Chart Strategy
Observation
charts are a type of inquiry chart that stimulate students’ curiosity. They
build background information while providing teachers with a diagnostic tool.
And they provide opportunities for language support from peers. During an
observation chart, I use real pictures or paintings attached to white poster
paper or butcher paper that contain a theme (e.g., food from a culture, ways of
transportation, games a culture plays, etc.). My students walk around from
observation chart to observation chart and write down either a question they're
wondering about, a comment they'd like to make, or just an observation (i.e.,
statement of fact).
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| Click on this link to access the file |
Observation
charts are a great way to engage students in learning new content, as it allows
them to observe real images from the content being learned, to make
observations, ask questions, and make comments about what they are observing.
This document outlines how to implement this strategy in your classroom, as
well as providing some real examples of observation charts. Use this as a
diagnostic tool to gather information on what your students already know. Also,
refer to them throughout the unit to change, revise, or add onto the charts as
they are learning the content.
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