Looking for visually engaging materials to help your students practice their observation and critical thinking skills? The Library of Congress Free to Use and Reuse sets offer a wealth of such images on a variety of topics. In honor of the season, let’s look at some examples from the Library’s Winter Free to Use and Reuse set.
Start with the richly detailed print shown above, which depicts the 1884 Montreal Winter Carnival. Show students the image without the item record and challenge them to list as many observations as they can. What people and objects are shown? What are the people doing? Next, ask students to reflect on their observations. What mood or feelings might these details evoke in a viewer? Why do they think someone created the print; what were they trying to communicate? Finally, show students the item record and ask them to focus on what it says about the purpose for creating the print.
“In the late 19th century, the Montreal Winter Carnival changed the way winter was perceived in Quebec. It sought to attract visitors to the city in the heart of the winter, a season they had otherwise avoided. From 1883 to 1889, five such carnivals were organized.”
Did any students guess the picture’s purpose? These carnivals included a spectacular “ice palace,” shown in the print, and a host of fun winter activities. Ask your students what they would show in a poster designed to attract people to their area.
Other images in the set document how some people used to work in the winter. For instance, show students this early 20th century photograph of workers sawing through ice next to a body of water. What do they think these people are doing – and why? Can students identify details to support their claims? Once they have analyzed the photograph, once again share the bibliographic record. Did anyone guess that these workers were “ice harvesting?” Encourage students to research historical newspapers in Chronicling America to learn more about the practice of ice harvesting, including what it was and why it was so important. How common do they think ice harvesting is today – why or why not?
Do your students like science and technology? Show them this early 20th century photograph featuring an odd-looking device from the U.S. Weather Bureau. By examining details in the photograph, can they determine what this device was? Once they learn that it’s a snow gauge, ask them to return to the picture and see if they can figure out how it may have worked. As an extension, challenge students to devise a way to measure the amount of rain or snow around the school by building their own measurement tool. Students can even explore the Library’s weather forecasting primary source set for ideas and inspiration!
U.S. Weather Bureau. Snow gauge
Visit the Winter Free to Use and Reuse set for more fun and interesting images that you can analyze with your students. Happy winter!
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