Header graphic
Header graphicVisual literacy headingclick! photography changes everything
At the Smithsonian we believe that being familiar with an image's context is an important part of understanding its meaning. We also believe that being culturally literate requires you to use the visual language of photography in an active, critical, and creative way.

Our resources for educators and students draw on the Smithsonian's wide range of photographs, almost all of which remain in their original disciplinary collections. Because these collections exist throughout the Smithsonian—in its art galleries, its history museums, its science centers, and the National Zoo—they collectively demonstrate how meaning can be gleaned from images in a multitude of ways.

Every Picture Has a Story: History Through Primary Sources
This lesson plan for K-12 students closely examines four of the 13 million photographs in the Smithsonian. The pictures presented represent four important steps in the history of the medium.
View lesson plan