Importance of using Images for Classroom Instruction

During my first year of teaching, I found myself using the textbook and having students look at a particular picture. Those images brought a bit of discussion into the class that otherwise might have been pretty dull. The summer between my first and second year, I began scanning images from the book into my computer and printed the full-size image on transparency paper. That method led to finding online images that raised the discussion among my students. Eventually, I would find images that were provocative yet in proper taste for a classroom setting and the image set the stage for a powerful lesson. Here are some of the methods I use in showing images to my students.

1. Make sure the image is legitimate for a particular lesson. 

As teachers, we need to maintain legitimacy for our work. If we expect students to have legitimate sourcing for their work, we need to show the example first.

2. Know that your students can handle particular images. 

Here’s an example of a provocative image, that I’ll use early on with my 10th grade global history students as a Do Now for my French Revolution – Causes lesson: 

Most of us know that some of our students are going to see this and think some very off-topic and normally inappropriate remarks. If your students don’t do so, then good for you. My suggestion, you’ve got these kids motivated into the lesson – what about this image forced the reactions from those students? Is it three people astride a single person? Is it that the person on the bottom is virtually naked, wearing only a blindfold and chains? I’m sure we all have someone who will make a sort of S&M remark – when that occurs, congratulations to you, you’ve roped someone onto the lesson in a big way, using only an image. Just to reinforce these points, have the students write down their observations and reactions. As a teacher, I make the point to write their answers on a board or chart paper – it does validate their answers to get these set for public viewing.

3. Using images to reinforce notes.

In the thirteen years I’ve taught at the high school level, I have utilized technology in ways that I’m sure some of my predecessors would only have imagined. To have a Power Point presentation projected on a wide screen has saved me precious minutes in showing an image to help me, and my students, stay organized and focused on the lessons. However, I have learned that once again, a picture is worth a million words. Here is an example of such a moment:

Causes for Napoleon's downfall

• multiple rebellions by those in French-occupied territories 
• "Reverse Nationalism" 
• Napoleon attempted to invade Russia in late 1812 
• No available supplies for troops, harsh Russian winter — 10K out of 400K French troops survived. 

Sure, most students will write this down – but will this ‘stick’? Let’s try this Power Point Slide:

Here the image will create much needed discussion – ‘that’s Russia in late summer? They’re going to freeze their…socks off!’ The students will react to the visuals here and the notes plus this image or a comparable one will turn the lesson into a productive one for all.

Of course, images can only convey so much. The image is only part of your lesson, I’d suggest supplementing the image with a reading from either a primary or a secondary source. If anyone has other experiences with images, please let us know. It’s this kind of dialogue that really makes our teaching more effective with our students.

Creating Document-based Questions for Classroom Instruction

Alexander III of Russia (1878 or 1881)
via Wikipedia

As a Social Studies teacher, I’ve found that Document-Based Questions (aka DBQs) were one of the most effective means for having my students analyze themes and related events in World History, U.S. History, Constitutional Law, and Economics. About eight years ago, I decided to start creating my own DBQs. I had used the Walch DBQ book (and I still do, for many lessons) for both World and U.S. History, and I realized I could also create my own DBQs for topics not covered by that book. Access to both primary and secondary sources has never been easier, and there’s really no reason to utilize this tool. I’m going to give a sort-of-tutorial on how I create a DBQ, and provide evidence from one of the DBQs I made previously for my 10^th Grade Global History class, on the topic of modernization of Russia in the 19^th century.

1. Have an idea of what you want your students to accomplish in class.That should sound familiar – any teacher is going to go through that before class, while making their lesson plan. Before I set an Aim, I make my objectives for my lesson plan. ‘SWBAT analyze steps toward the modernization of Russia in the 19^th century’. That’s where it begins for me, and I’m sure people go through different processes toward making their objectives.
2. Have some familiarity with both primary and secondary sources toward making that idea a reality.Most textbooks have some ideas on primary sources, which are the ideal documents for a DBQ assignment. With the development of the Internet, access to those sources has never become easier. Here is a list of some of the public access primary source sites that I’ve used:
• Internet World History Sourcebook http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/mod/modsbook.asp
• The Avalon Project: Documents in Law, History, and Diplomacy (Yale University) http://avalon.law.yale.edu/default.asp
• Word Digital Library www.wdl.org/en


I’m willing to expect that more sites are available. These three are reliable – in fact, these will probably supply every document and image needed for your own DBQ creation.  If you see other sites for primary sources, please let me know. I’ll be pleased to add them to the list. As always, confirm the integrity of the site when considering a document.


3.   Now that you’ve found your document, get it to fit your students’ needs!
This can be a challenge – how much of the document should one use with the students. Too short, and one risks not challenging the students enough. Too long, and one risks losing the students. Take some time with particular documents to know what your students need to make those objectives reality. Let’s go to the objective we developed previously. A little research, and I found a source:


Document 2, The Abolition of Serfdom in Russia, Alexander II, 1861
“Examining the condition of classes and professions comprising the state, WE became convinced that the present state legislation favors the upper and middle classes, defines their obligations, rights, and privileges, but does not equally favor the serfs, so designated because in part from old laws and in part from custom they have been hereditarily subjected to the authority of landowners, who in turn were obligated to provide for their well being. Rights of nobles have been hitherto very broad and legally ill defined, because they stem from tradition, custom, and the good will of the noblemen. In most cases this has led to the establishment of good patriarchal relations based on the sincere, just concern and benevolence on the part of the nobles, and on affectionate submission on the part of the peasants. Because of the decline of the simplicity of morals, because of in the diversity of relations, because of the weakening of the direct paternal relationship of nobles toward the peasants, and because noble rights fell sometimes into the hands of people exclusively concerned with their personal interests, good relations weakened. The way was opened for an arbitrariness burdensome for the peasants and detrimental to their welfare, causing them to be indifferent to the improvement of their own existence.”


This text is actually much longer in scope, and near impossible to cover in a class. There’s so much we can do with this. First let’s make a question to support this document.


Write down two ways how were serfs politically disadvantaged in Russia.


A great way to make this effective is for a teacher to have a student read the question first, then read the document. All kinds of students will bounce up as the answers practically leap in front of their eyes.


4.   Analyze the source of the document as well.
This isn’t done nearly enough in Social Studies, and I am the first to say I didn’t do this until recently. Analyzing a source of a document is an AP standard, but it doesn’t need to be limited to that intensive study of a particular curriculum. By analyzing a source, we are examining the perspective of the particular source.  Here is a question that would allow a non-AP student to analyze the source:


Note the title of this document. How did Alexander II attempt to reform this disadvantage?


A student could do a little pre-DBQ work to identify Alexander II as then-czar of Russia, to evaluate him as an absolute monarch, to compare 19^th century Russia to medieval European societies (who are serfs? Where have we discussed them previously in history? What can we infer about Russian society in the 19^th century if it had serfs long after other European states ceased to have this social class? At the very least, this kind of analysis will, in an essay, lead to that much-needed point in a DBQ essay: the use of relevant outside information.


In closing this note, as with any educational endeavor, I would suggest to see other DBQs as well to evaluate how documents were chosen, questions were written, and tailor those to your expectations to your students' abilities and goals. Be sure to check out my posts on working with images and maps. As always, check out my DBQ products at All Things History Lesson Plans.