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Overview:
Our perceptions of the world are formed not only by what we see, but also by our previous experiences. When someone observes an unfamiliar place in the world, they bring with them their understanding and interpretation of their own culture, which helps to shade their perception of what they are observing or the place they are visiting.
Photographers are regarded as recorders of places, cultures, and events, but how much of what they are recording is inspired, driven or affected by their own experiences? In this lesson, students will begin to explore how culture and experience influence people's perceptions of places and regions.
Connections to the Curriculum:
Geography, social studies, art
Connections to the National Geography Standards:
Standard 6: "How culture and experience influence people's perceptions of places and regions"
Time:
One to two hours
Materials Required:
Materials Required:
- Computer with Internet access
- Construction paper
- Scissors
Objectives:
Students will
- describe how their personal experiences influence their understanding of a photograph;
- describe how Chin brings his experiences into his work; and
- describe how their own experiences affect their understanding of the world.
Geographic Skills:
Acquiring Geographic Information
Answering Geographic Questions
Analyzing Geographic Information
S u g g e s t e d P r o c e d u r e
Opening:
Jimmy Chin has been named a National Geographic Emerging Explorer. He is an accomplished climber, skier and photographer who has found a way to incorporate each of his passions into his life's work. His photographs of landscapes and people have been highlighted in magazines and advertisements throughout the world. In the next several activities, students will explore ways in which Jimmy Chin's photography reflects the world's landscapes, people and cultures, as well as his own experiences.
Development:
Show students Jimmy Chin's photograph Waxing. Ask students to share one experience that this photograph reminds them of (going to the beach, seeing the ocean for the first time, a movie about surfing, etc.). Write down the students' responses on the board. Then, ask the students what made these experiences so memorable for them.
Then, show the students Jimmy Chin's photograph Cedar Wright and Local Cuisine. Ask students to write down what this picture reminds them of from their own experiences and how they think the man in the picture feels (e.g., scared, excited, confused, surprised, etc.). Collect their responses and begin a class discussion about the photograph by asking, "How does the man feel?" List their responses on the board then ask students to share experiences that this photograph reminds them of. You can prompt them by having them start their sentences with "This picture reminds me of the time"
Then ask, "Why do some of the students think that the man feels 'good' (happy, surprised, excited) while others think that he feels 'bad' (scared, startled, confused)?" After students share their ideas, explain that we each have our own experiences, and when we look at different situations or different cultures, we sometimes see them differently based on our own experiences. For example, some students may have had a bad experience with trying a new food. They may find this photograph scary. However, some of the students may feel that the man looks like a favorite uncle or family friend, and they may find the photograph funny.
Tell students that they will be learning about how our experiences affect our perceptions of the world and of other cultures by learning more about the photographer who took the pictures they’re looking at—National Geographic Emerging Explorer Jimmy Chin.
Have students watch the brief profile of Jimmy Chin. Then, ask them to name some of the things he likes to do (skiing, climbing, photography). Finally, ask them how his own personal experiences are shown in his pictures (e.g., he takes lots of pictures of skiers and climbers).
Closing:
Have students describe their hobbies and interests. Begin a class discussion about how their personal interests might affect the way they view other cultures. Have students describe what they would like to take pictures of if they were photographers.
Suggested Student Assessment:
Extending the Lesson:
Give each student a piece of 8 1/2" X 11" construction paper and have them cut out the center so that the paper resembles a picture frame. Then, take the students out to the playground. Tell them that they will be playing a game similar to musical chairs. In this game, they run around the playground holding their picture frame in front of them at arms length. When the teacher calls stop, students should immediately stop and look through the frame to see what kind of picture "they took."
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