Summary
You may not know her name, but you definitely know her work. Meet Dorothea Lange, whose photographs of the Depression shaped Americans' understanding of the era. Lange started her career in the pictorial style, and later became a pioneer of documentary photography, which seeks to capture the world as it is. She was hired to document the work of the Farm Security Administration, a New Deal program for struggling American farmers. Lange captured the complex humanity of her subjects through camera angles, cropping, and juxtaposition. Her photo Migrant Mother has become the definitive symbol of the suffering experienced by Americans during the Depression. Press "play" to dive deep into some of the most iconic photos in American history.
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
A few questions to talk through after watching Dorothea Lange:
- What is one new thing you learned about dorothea lange?
- Can you explain it to a partner in your own words?
- Where might you see this in the real world?
- What is one question you still have?
Quick work-a-long
Try it:
- Write one sentence explaining dorothea lange.
- Draw or give one example of your own.