The+Value+of+the+Three-Level+Guide+for+Historical+Inquiry

Ormond, Barbara. “Enabling Students to Read Historical Images: The Value of the Three-Level Guide for Historical Inquiry.” History Teacher, v. 44. No. 2 (2011): 179-190.



Barbara Ormond’s article, “Enabling Students to Historical Images: The Value of the Three-Level Guide for Historical Inquiry, ” discusses a teaching strategy to foster visual literacy amongst students. Secondary Social Studies incorporates a particular set of skills and strategies. One such skill is to be able to comprehend visual images and use them to formulate arguments. Ormond’s research discusses her own implementation of the “Three Level Guide” strategy in her own classroom over several years. She endorses the strategy as a way to develop this visual literacy skill set amongst students. The strategy includes three steps: a simple understanding of what is seen in the, an interpretation of the image, and then a consideration of underlying ideas of the image or a discussion of the makers intentions. The strategy uses the expertise of the educator to provide background knowledge to students. The teacher creates series of statements about the image for each level of inquiry. It is the students’ job to analyze the image and argue the validity of each statement. Then students work in groups to justify their claims and assess others' arguments. This in-class activity is an affective was to meet students where they are and to link new knowledge to what they already know.