Using Photographs to Create Culturally Relevant Classrooms: People of San Antonio, Texas, in the 1930s

Using Photographs to Create Culturally Relevant Classrooms: People of San Antonio, Texas, in the 1930s

It is difficult to overstate the power of visual images, particularly historical primary source photos, to provide a window into the past. Here, the authors outline how educators can utilize historic photos to provide students with a deeper understanding of the past. When students do not see their heritage and culture represented in images, the development of their historical understanding can be incomplete or fragmented. Historical understanding can be enhanced, however, when students “see themselves” in the primary sources presented to them.