Media Literacy: Analyzing Visual Images
“Media literacy is the ability to sift through and analyze the messages that inform, entertain and sell to us every day. It's the ability to bring critical thinking skills to bear on all media— from music videos and Web environments to product placement in films and virtual displays on NHL hockey boards. It's about asking pertinent questions about what's there, and noticing what's not there. And it's the instinct to question what lies behind media productions— the motives, the money, the values and the ownership— and to be aware of how these factors influence content.” – Media Awareness Network
The following five-step “Describe-Identify-Interpret-Evaluate-Reflect” process can help students:
- Understand and interpret the visual images they see in the world around them
- Develop critical thinking skills, particularly in regards to visual images
- Enhance their observation and interpretive skills
- Develop conceptual learning techniques
It can be used to guide students’ analysis of any visual image, including visual art, photographs, political cartoons, propaganda posters, video clips, and films. This process can also be adapted to help students interpret text images.
Step one: Preparation
Questions to consider when setting up this activity:
- How will images be distributed to students? Large? Small? Color? Black and white?
Setting up this activity involves not only selecting the image/s students will interpret, but also making sure that the images are presented to students in a format where they can closely observe details. Larger images, such as those projected on screens, can be interpreted by a number of students at the same time. If the image is on a smaller piece of paper, you may need to print copies for pairs of students to share. If color is essential to interpreting meaning, the image should be reproduced in color or at least one color copy should be available to students.
- Will students interpret individually, in small groups as a whole class?
Other teaching strategies that might help you structure students’ analysis of images include think-pair-share, fishbowl, gallery walk, big paper and assigning roles.
- What will they do with the information they collect from the images?
Often teachers provide students with a graphic organizer to help structure their analysis. Click here for a sample graphic organizer.
- What scaffolding and training do students need to use this process?
If students have not used this process before, it is best to model it for them with a sample image before they apply this process on their own.
Step two: Analyzing images with the Describe-Identify-Interpret-Evaluate-Reflect process
Here is an example of instructions you can distribute to students to guide them through this process:
Directions for analyzing images
- Describe: Look closely at the image. Describe what you see with as much detail as possible. List information about recognizable images, colors, and composition (placement of objects on the page). Write down below what you see without making any interpretation about what the picture is trying to say. Complete the statement: When looking at this image, I see…
- Identify: Identify basic information about the image. What questions do you have about this picture that you would need answered before you can begin to interpret it? Complete the statement: After looking closely at this image, I want to know... Then, try to find answers to these questions, such as when the image was produced or who created it.
- Interpret: Given what you see and what you know about the image, what do you think it means? What message do you think the creator is trying to express? What other messages, if any, does this image express? Complete the statements: The message/s this image sends to me is….I think the creator is trying to say…
- Evaluate: What do you think might have been the intended purpose of this image? The intended audience? Do you think this image effectively achieves its purpose? Why or why not? Complete the statements: Based on my analysis of this image, I think it did/did not achieve its purpose because…..
- Reflect: What do you think might be the possible impact of this image? How might the message expressed in this poster have influenced the ideas and actions of others? What does this poster tell you about life in that particular place and time? What questions do you have after analyzing this image? What more do you want to know? Complete the statements: I believe the impact of this image might have been… From analyzing this image, I have learned….Some questions I have are….
Step three: Sharing and comparing analysis
Students deepen their understanding of an image and develop their interpretation skills when they have the opportunity to see how others analyzed the same image. Small group presentations, whole class discussion or the jigsaw peer-teaching strategy represent a few ways that students can share their ideas about an image. After students hear from their peers, give them time to revise their analysis based on this new information.
