TITLE: Exploring Erwin Smith’s Photography
GRADES: 7–12
SUBJECT AREAS: Texas History, U.S. History, Visual Art
TEXAS ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS (TEKS) CONNECTIONS
7.1 History. The student understands traditional historical points of reference in Texas history.
7.6 History. The student understands how individuals, events, and issues shaped the history of Texas from
Reconstruction through the beginning of the 20th century.
7.21 and US.24 Social Studies Skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information
acquired from a variety of sources including electronic technology.
7.23 and US.26 Social Studies Skills. The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working
independently and with others, in a variety of settings.
US.1 History. The student understands traditional historical points of reference in U.S. history from 1877 to the
present.
US.20 Culture. The student understands the relationship between the arts and the times during which they were
created.
OBJECTIVES
Students will
• look closely at Erwin E. Smith’s photography by participating in interactive activities;
• brainstorm the main ideas of Smith’s photography;
• research an aspect of Smith’s photography and create a presentation for their classmates;
make personal connections to Smith’s photography by selecting and analyzing their favorite photograph.
ACTIVITIES
Activity One
Introduce Smith’s work to students by projecting several of Smith’s photographs from this online teaching guide
(one at a time) and facilitating activities with each one. Ask students to
• make a list of everything they can see in the photograph;
• write five questions they have about the photograph;
• tell a classmate five facts about the photograph;
• write an acrostic poem about the photograph;
• get in the position of the figures in the photograph and discuss how it feels;
• choose a partner and look closely at a photograph for thirty seconds. Then, ask one student to turn
around and have the other student ask him/her questions about the photograph.
Activity Two
As a class, brainstorm the main ideas and issues associated with Smith’s photography. Record the students’
responses on the board or an overhead projector. Ideas may include the following:
• details of cowboy life (daily work, seasonal work, clothing, ranches, cowboy lifestyle)
• cattle industry/railroads (historical context, function of the cowboy within this industry, cause and effect
of railroad expansion)
• documentation of a historical period (photos as primary sources, motivation for creating this
documentation, impact today)
• accuracy and reliability of photographs (capturing a moment, perhaps not showing the whole picture,
seeing what the artist wants us to see)
• the art of photography (process, art elements, creative spirit)
Activity Three
Give students the opportunity to explore Smith’s work in-depth and to teach someone else about it. Divide
students into groups and assign each group one of the main ideas from the brainstorm session. Ask students
to research their topic online, using this online teaching guide. (Students may also choose to use the Web sites
listed below for further research.) Tell students to select several of Smith’s photographs that support their topic.
Have each group create a brief presentation about their topic to share with the rest of the class. Students may
choose to make a video, a PowerPoint®, or a Web site. Students should identify their main idea, explain how
Smith’s photographs illustrate this idea, and determine why Smith’s photographs are important to us today.
Students must include several of Smith’s photographs to support their point of view.
After each group has presented their information to the class, discuss the following questions:
• What does Smith’s photography tell us about cowboy life?
• Why did Smith take these photos?
• How do they affect us today?
Activity Four
Ask each student to select his/her favorite Smith photograph from this online teaching guide and write about it,
including the following:
• description of the photograph
• summary of the main idea of the photograph
• explanation of why you selected this photograph
• conclusions about how this photograph illustrates the main ideas and issues that the class presented
about Smith’s work
WORKS OF ART
Cowboy on horseback. Spur Ranch, Texas., ca. 1908–10
Gelatin dry plate negative
LC-S6-381
Long horned cattle, 1905–15
Gelatin dry plate negative
LC-S6-555
[Calf tying], 1905–15
Nitrate negative
P1986-41-374
Sam Whittaker, Wagon Cook for the LS, Getting
Breakfast in the Early Dawn, 1907
Nitrate negative
LC-S59-090
[Branding], 1905–15
Nitrate negative
LC-S611-700
BOOKS
Price, B. Byron. Imagining the Open Range: Erwin E. Smith, Cowboy Photographer. Fort Worth: Amon Carter
Museum, 1998.
Worcester, Don. Cowboy with a Camera: Erwin E. Smith, Cowboy Photographer. Fort Worth: Amon Carter
Museum, 1998.
WEB SITES
www.texascowboyhalloffame.com
www.cowgirl.net
www.cattleraisersmuseum.org
www.fortworth.com
www.museumeducation.org/curricula_treasure_text.html
ASSESSMENT
Students will demonstrate their understanding of the main ideas and issues related to Smith’s photography
by creating a presentation about one aspect of his work. Students will also select a photograph and draw
conclusions about the relationship between the photograph and the main ideas and issues of Smith’s body of
work.