HIST154 Photographic Image in American History

Department of Social & Behavioral Science: History

  1. Course Number and Title

    HIST154 Photographic Image in American History (Experimental)

  2. Number of Credits

    3 credits

  3. Minimum Number of Instructional Minutes Per Semester

    2250 minutes

  4. Prerequisites

    None

    Corequisites

    None

  5. Other Pertinent Information

    None

  6. Catalog Course Description

    An integral part of American culture for nearly 170 years, photographs teach us to remember, experience and understand our world. Students will critically analyze, evaluate, and interpret photographs as historical tools. More importantly, we will examine how the photographic image shaped our understanding of American History.

  7. Required Course Content and Direction

    1. Learning Goals:

      Students will be able to
      1. evaluate and examine American society since the arrival of photography in the United States.
      2. demonstrate an understanding of how Americans have viewed themselves from a historical sense through the lens of the camera.
      3. recognize the importance of photographs as historical evidence and teach students to critical analyze and evaluate photographs as historical tools.
      4. review the persuasive power and lasting effects of photographic image.

    2. Planned Sequence of Topics and/or Learning Activities:

      1. Visual Impact: The Photograph in American Education
      2. One Man's Contribution to American History: Mathew Brady
      3. Propaganda, Symbols, and Manipulation: The Photograph as a Persuasive Tool
      4. Meeting at the Crossroad: The Relationship of the American Painter and the American Photographer
      5. The American Frontier and the Photographic Image: The Role of the Image in Westward Expansion
      6. From Professional to Amateur, "You Press The Button, We Do The Rest." George Eastman and Kodak
      7. The Still Image, American Ingenuity and the Cinema: Science and Photography
      8. The Photograph as Intellectual Property
      9. The Positive Impact of the Negative: The American Photographer as a Social Documentarian
      10. Hope and Hopelessness: The Great Depression and the Farm Security Administration
      11. Photographic Proof: The Holocaust
      12. War Photography and American Consciousness
      13. Slightly Out of Focus: The Turbulent 60's
      14. Projecting an Image: The Art of Persuasion in Advertisement
      15. Photography, American and the Future: Digital Photography from Theory to Reality
      16. Space Limitations: From Global Warming to Brittany Spears

    3. Assessment Methods for Core Learning Goals:

      The assessment of course learning goals will be based on participation in classroom discussions, written exams, assignments, papers, and or performance based tasks and projects.

      This course is not included in the Core.

    4. Reference, Resource, or Learning Materials to be used by Students:

      See course format.

  8. Teaching Methods Employed

    1. Lectures
    2. Slide presentations
    3. Class discussions and debates
    4. Films
    5. Guest speakers

Review/Approval Date - Unavailable