Photoshop: Point of View Project

In a social studies class, it is important to make sure students grasp the concept of viewpoint.  Each side may see an event from differing perspectives or tell the same story in a different way.   This can help the students more clearly understand historical concepts and the world around them. The photos above, which were taken at the end of World War II and the start of the Cold War, have been doctored from the original using Photoshop.   These can be used in a number of ways in the classroom.  Each photo can be used as an example, which the student can comment on, to make sure he or she understands how each side saw or would have liked to have seen this event.  The student could connect symbolism, size and position to meaning and then relate that to the information in their textbooks.   In addition, students could create their own photos and use them to show their understanding of perspective in any number of historical events. 

Photoshop could also be used to show a historical timeline or collage.  Photos could be doctored to demonstrate an understanding of information given in class and each historical concept connect.  The use of this technology could be used in any number of ways.    

President Eisenhower is enlarged and placed infront of the Big Three.




Joseph Stalin is moved to the middle of the Big Three.

Here is a great site on digital tampering throughout history:

http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/farid/research/digitaltampering/

      Connection to Standard: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity.  The use of this project and technology accomplishes many of the parts of the standard I chose.  By allowing the student to create his or her own photo of a historical event, the teacher promotes, supports, and models creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness.  The project can also be connected to real world photo doctoring and shown how it affects our daily lives. Also, with the use of blogging or small group discussion of the photos, students and teachers can promote student reflection and collaborative knowledge construction.