EFFECTIVE QUESTIONS

While observing a specific image or group of images of the same site, have students answer three, seemingly simple questions developed by Terry Barrett, Professor of Art Education at Ohio State University:

• What do you see?
• What is it about?
• How do you know?

The questions, used in succession, succinctly encourage description, interpretation, and the justification of reasoning. Encourage students to discuss elements they see such as movement, color, dynamic relationships between objects or people, etc., to support their answers.

Next, ask the following questions while observing specific images:

• Why do you think this photograph was chosen by the artist and the exhibition curator to document the project?
• What details in the photograph help contribute to a sense of the people involved, their community, and civic involvement?

Jesse Sedler horse logging Incorporated color coupler print © Lauren Greenfield 1999

http://www.creativephotography.org    This page last updated September 24, 2000.   oncenter@ccp.arizona.edu