Understanding Sontag: An Ecology of Images
This handout introduces Susan Sontag’s argument for an “ecology of images” from On Photography (1977) and explores its relevance today
PHOTOGRAPHY LESSON 1: HANDOUT 2
½—1 class periods (30-60 min)
- Art and Culture
Medium > Visual Arts
Subject Matter > Art History
Subject Matter > Philosophy
- History and Social Studies
Themes > Culture
World > The Modern World
Themes > Globalization
- Literature and Language Arts
Genre > Essay
Place > Ancient World
Place > Modern World
Place > American
- Analysis
- Critical thinking
- Cultural analysis
- Discussion
- Evaluating arguments
- Interpretation
- Literary analysis
- Media analysis
- Making inferences and drawing conclusions
- Summarizing
- Synthesis
- Textual analysis
- Visual analysis
- ELA Reading: 1-4, 10
- ELA Speaking & Listening: 1
- HSS Reading: 1-2, 4, 8
OR complete the lesson now with one of our Student Activity Options
- Assign “In Plato’s Cave” and “The Image-World” or the full text of Sontag’s On Photography in advance, in place of handout excerpt.
- Reflection and concluding questions may also be assigned as short essays or response papers.