These Pictures Tell Stories

"A Mirrored Memory" is an 8-piece series by photographer Tom Hussey. Each of the creative photos shows a representative profession--firefighter, scientist, teacher, nurse, soldier, etc.--and the poignancy of aging that each figure is experiencing. I wish I had discovered these photos this summer as one of the short stories I used for my level-5 class was "The Mirror." Imagine what lively expansion activities would have been generated by these intriguing pictures!

Another "picture story" resource that I have recently come across is "America's Artist" by Pamela Krol in the March/April issue of The Saturday Evening Post. It is a fascinating piece detailing how Norman Rockwell captured America's ambitions and emotions. For example, the facial expressions at right are such authentic rendering of emotions, be it embarrassed, proud, surprised, anxious, disgusted, determined, wishful... And isn't it a boon for us ESL teachers looking for a resource to teach/discuss these emotion all in one place? Moreover, the print issue carries more than a dozen Rockwell pictures that tell a story, even though the online version has only five. Check them out and see how Rockwell's labor of love can be turned into something to teach by.